Horses are, in my opinion, one of the most adorable animals with loads of charm to toss around. They can make you fall absolutely in love with them and keep you in love with their beauty. And when you love something, you have that irresistible urge to take care of it. Share what’s yours with it. The same is true when it comes to your horse.
You might feel the need to want to share your food with your favorite equine, while that’s great, you need to make sure that what you’re feeding him or her won’t hurt them. You should also learn what kind of human food their body will okay with.
So can horses eat human food? Well, as you probably know, there are certain foods that you can share with your horse like carrots and apples. But it might interest you to know that there is more food on that list you might not have thought about. This is a look at all the other human food options that a horse can eat.
Don’t forget that horses are built to eat a little amount of food on a constant basis, but for the love of your horse, learn to say NO when she keeps sticking her cute nose at you, cajoling you to give her more treats. Keep it to a minimum of one or two treats, for your horse’s good.
Some horses are really selective and some will gobble up whatever you give to them. It all depends on what type of horse you have. But regardless of that, you must not trust him or her to rightly know what’s best for their health. Understand that feeding your horse the wrong thing can really cause a lot of problems because a horse’s digestive system is sensitive and delicate. So take absolute care of what you feed them.
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s continue on to which human foods are safe for your horse to eat and provide you with good advice on how much treats you can give your horse and how often you should do the same.
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Apples
I think it is general knowledge that horses love apples. But be careful. An apple a day is okay to feed your horse. Do not take it overboard, because your horse will accept your treat, and he or she will be none the wiser. Also, it won’t hurt to remove the seeds from the apple before you feed your horse because the seeds in apples contain cyanide compounds and taking them in substantial quantities is quite harmful.
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Grapes
If you have a dog or a cat, don’t feed them grapes. It is extremely harmful to them. But your horse? It would be a great treat to feed him or her. Just as grapes are sweet for us, your horse will take a particular liking to grapes because of its naturally sweet taste. But take heed. You are limited to feeding your horse around one pound of grapes per day. Nothing more.
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Carrots
Carrots are one of the usuals on the horse menu. That is not big news. Horses enjoy carrots as much as the next guy and it’s okay to feed it to them. However, caution must be exercised. Carrots are extremely rich in sugar and if your horse has equine polysaccharide storage myopathy, insulin resistance or Cushing’s syndrome, it is recommended you avoid feeding him large amounts of carrots. And even if your horse is perfectly fine, regulate the number of carrots you feed them per day.
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Bananas
Some horses would appreciate a but if banana once in a while. What’s more fascinating is that you can actually feed them the peel together with the mushy interior. A bit of potassium won’t hurt your hurt. But like I said, moderate the ration.
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Watermelon
Watermelons are another good treat you could feed your horse buddy. While some horses are pretty picky, almost every horse will welcome a juicy watermelon snack. What’s more, they can consume even the rind. But as a precaution, do well to remove the seeds before offering some to your horse. There’s never a thing as being too careful.
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Strawberries
Strawberries are well known to contain large amounts of antioxidants, water, vitamins, and fiber. Because of this, they are great for keeping your horse healthy and well hydrated. But as much as this fruity goodness is great for your horse, make sure you don’t offer too much of it because of its high sugar content.
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Pumpkin
Horses love pumpkin and it is one of the safe vegetables to feed them. You can also feed them the seeds. Pumpkins have sweet tastes and they are high in Vitamin A. As a result of this, they are a great substitute or alternative to sugar cubes.
If you wish to reduce the likelihood of your horse choking while eating pumpkin, it is best to take out the stems, remove the seeds and then cut the flesh into smaller bits. Also, make sure to check rots on the pumpkin as they are quite poisonous to horses.
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Cucumbers
Cucumbers are great treats for your horse. They contain a wealthy amount of vitamins A, K, and C, and they’re also a good source of potassium. Homegrown cucumbers are the best to feed your horse. This is because they will be free of pesticides and pesticides will nothing but harm your horse.
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Apricots
These are another wonderful treat to give your horse. It is an excellent source of iron and a sweet snack you can always throw at your horse(not literally). Nevertheless, you should always cut out the seeds from this fruit and cut it into small slices before feeding them to your horse. An excess of Apricots can also lead to an upset stomach for your horse. So you should probably only give your horse a few a day.
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Black oil sunflower seeds
I can bet that when you think of the top 10 foods you can feed your horse, black oil sunflower seeds never popped into your mind. I know. However, as a result of their high oil content, black oil sunflower seeds are really good for horses because it facilitates easy digestion.
Keep in mind that we are talking about black oil sunflower seeds and not sunflower seeds. These are two very different things. Sunflower seeds are one of those snacks we consume willy-nilly.
These are non-oil seeds and should never be fed to horses because they can easily get stuck in their digestive system and that in turn will cause your horse some discomfort.
Some other human foods that you can easily feed your horse are:
- Cantaloupe
- Snow Peas
- Oranges
- Raisins
- Celery
- Squash
- Berries
Take note that some horses will come nowhere near some of these treats while others will devour them without a second thought. It depends on what type of horse you have.
Can Horses Eat Human Food like Candy Or Sugar Cubes?
Just as it applies to people, giving your horse sweet treats is not frowned on. But like it also applies to people, candy and other sweet things are terrible for your horse’s teeth, their digestive system, as well as their general health. So don’t make it a routine.
A little bit of chocolate wouldn’t hurt either. Emphasis on ‘little bit‘. And aside from feeding your horse too much chocolate is harmful, chocolate can come out positive on a drug test if your horse is registered in any sport where taking tests are mandatory. This could get your horse disqualified.
Are There Any Dangerous Human Food Or Veggies That Are Harmful To Your Horse?
Yes. The answer is yes. There are certain foods that would hurt your horse and those are to be avoided at all costs. Any kind of food that would upset your horse’s digestive system or cause them to have gas must be avoided. Keep in mind that unlike you, horses can not burn when they’ve got gas. So look out for your horse.
Examples of foods that are harmful to your horse are:
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Brussel’s Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Rhubarb
- Avocadoes.
On a general note, it is best to avoid any food or vegetable in the cruciferous family and the hemlock family.
Your horse’s health should be important to you. And no matter how much you want to spoil your horse, give her what you think are the very best foods, make sure you research what food will not bring your horse to harm.
