If you are a horse owner then one predominant thought you would have is how to spend quality time with your horse(s). And if you are anything like me or your horse stupendously loves treats as my Mare does, you would feed it all the treats you can, just to spend time with it. But this poses a problem because these treats become unhealthy and it is possible to get worried about hurting your horse.
Naturally, it becomes best to find a healthy alternative. So you ask, “What should Horses eat? And how much is too much?”
I started considering fruits and vegetables. I mean, fruits and vegetables are naturally good and healthy for everyone. However, I realized I had to put a bit more thought into it in order to know the relevant details. These details are basically, which fruit or vegetable I could feed to my horse, which are healthy for horses, and which it will develop an interest for.
Yes, we all know about apples, how they are healthy for horses and how horses love them, but what else can they enjoy eating. In light of all that, I decided to dive into some serious research and now, I’d like to share my findings.
What Should Horses Eat?
Now, the first and major aspect I considered is if it’s safe to feed horses fruits or vegetables. Especially since horses hardly refuse to eat anything we offer them, they chew it all up. So knowing if it is safe for our horses ultimately becomes our responsibility. The fact is, there are veggies and fruits that are good for horses so it doesn’t have to be one or the other.
In that regard, there are a lot of fruits and vegetables that are safe to feed our horses, as long as you take the necessary care and precaution. The precaution bit is because, although it seems like horses can safely eat most things a human can eat, the reality is that they can’t eat some. This is as a result of their sensitive digestive system, which is not made to tolerate certain fruits and vegetables.
So it is actually advised generally to check with a professional, that is, your veterinarian before you give your horse a new fruit or vegetable or any new treats. However, I’ve done some research, so let me share it with you. To that end, below is a comprehensive list of various common fruits and vegetables that you can safely feed to your horse.
What Fruits Can Horses Eat?
When it comes to fruits and basically all things treats and foods, we must consider personal taste and choice. What I am saying is that horses, like humans, have different choices or rather, preferences when it comes to fruits or treats in general. Hence, we shouldn’t really expect your horse to like grapes, just as much as my horse likes them, she may prefer strawberries or a pear. However, most horses will definitely enjoy, if not all of the following fruits.
Apples
I don’t really have to say much here, right? I mean we’re talking about apples, anyone who has seen a movie with a horse in it knows that horses love apples. Red or green, apples are the go-to staple treats for horses. Horses absolutely love apples, so don’t stop feeding it to them, however, not just every time. Too much of everything isn’t exactly good. Also, if you have been feeding your horse only a red apple, you can mix things up by getting a green apple.
Pears
This is one I’m sure most people do not know about. However, a pear is one of the best natural food your horse can safely eat as a treat. It is a great fruit to feed to any horse, especially when you want to gift your horse with new treats. Also, there are several ways you can serve it up to your horse, you can feed it like you would an apple or slice it up. However, the best way, in my opinion, would be removing the stem and core of the pear, right before slicing it up.
Bananas
Here, we have another outstanding fruit that most horses can eat. However, there is something you should note before feeding your horse a banana. While a banana is a delicious fruit you and your horse can have fun eating, bananas are quite high in sugar. So you need to watch how often you feed it to your horse. Also, horses can eat both the banana and the banana peel and the latter is a great low sugar treat. So, if you have a horse that is insulin resistant and can’t have surgery treats, then feeding it a banana peel is a great alternative. You should also note that you feed this fruit to your horse either fresh or frozen.
Oranges
This is another example of great natural foods you can give to your horse as a treat. Oranges are really sweet and juicy treats for your horse and they also serve as a really great treat to use to change the norm from your average everyday treat. Also, like a banana, a horse can eat the entire orange, peel, and all. So next time you’re enjoying fresh oranges try giving your horse some and you can also let it take a sip from your fresh orange juice.
Mangoes
This is another great fruit treat for horses. They are sweet and safe for horses to consume, however, you must take care to remove the pit. Ensure you remove the pit before feeding your horse a mango.
Grapes
In my opinion, this is the most fun fruit to feed your horse. They are safe and really good treats for horses, both the red and green grapes. You can also feed it to your horse fresh or frozen. However, you should take note of grape seeds when feeding your horse, to this, feeding sleepless grapes are better.
What Vegetables can Horses eat?
Like I said earlier, you should always take into account your horse’s taste. For while some vegetables make amazing treats for horses, your horse may not have the preference for it. However, let’s look at the vegetables you can try to feed your horses.
Celery
Like apples, celery is that vegetable most of us know our horses enjoy. This is because celeries are amazing veggies rich in vitamins and moisture that are all so perfect for our horse’s consumption. Also, you should note that horses can safely eat both the celery leaves and celery stalk.
Carrots
This is another one like apples and celery, we all know about it. They are the go-to vegetable most horse lovers think about when they want a vegetable treat for their horse. That is because carrots are sweet and safe treats for horses.
Zucchini
Here we have one of the not-so-popular one, zucchini. However, zucchini is a safe option of vegetables, you can feed your horse. However, you should wash it before you offer it to your horse, as well as slicing or dicing it. Also, there is a chance your horse may not like it at first, but you should keep trying.
Sweet Potato
This is another one of the weird ones, but it is a very good treat for your horse. Also, horses enjoy sweet potato cooked or raw, so you have various ways to introduce it to your horse.
Point To Note
So, I’m about done, but first, let me give you examples of other fruits and veggies you can try. For your horse, you can try the safe options of pumpkins, strawberries, cantaloupe, raisins, lettuce, peaches, and plums.
However, there are fruits and veggies you should avoid feeding your horse by all means. They include onions, avocados, tomatoes, cabbage and other such gas-producing vegetables in general.
