In simple terms, horses eat grass and hay or haylage, but salt, concentrates and fruits or vegetables can also enhance their diets, depending on the required work regime and available feed.
Some of their favorites include watermelon, apples, strawberries, bananas, and peppermints. But horses have to eat a certain amount of forage because of their complex digestive system, and most like alfalfa hay the best. Horses like to eat fruits and vegetables, and most of these are safe to feed your animal.
Plain marshmallows have basic ingredients that are all safe for horses to consume in moderation. There is nothing toxic about plain marshmallows and a healthy horse can eat them with no problem!
Horses have digestive tracts very different from humans. They require a diet high in fiber and consumed in little amounts over long periods. But just like humans, horses also enjoy variety in their meals. Of course, Oreos and Pringles won't do for these precious herbivores.
Thankfully, horses generally avoid potatoes due to an off-putting taste. But with so many delicious forms of potato, that isn't always the case. French fries, chips, gnocchi, and other potato-based foods are all dangerous to horses.
Not every horse will go for a doughnut, but some can down a whole doughnut in one bite. Maybe start small by purchasing a bag of doughnut holes to see if your horse likes them and to avoid too much sugar at once. Doughnuts can be a fabulous end-of-show dessert to thank your horse for a job well done.
Chocolate. Just like dogs, horses are sensitive to the chemical theobromine which is found in the cocoa which is used to make chocolate. Large amounts of cocoa can kill a horse but even a small amount can result in big trouble.
So in general, dairy products of any kind are not safe for them as they don't have the proper digestive enzymes to absorb lactose. Consuming any food with lactose may lead to severe digestive upset and diarrhoea. This is why dairy products such as milk, cheese and ice cream should be avoided.
Dairy products including yogurt or kefir are not meant for horses.
We have used it on many horses that we have rescued from sandy ground. We normally feed approx 6 weetbix wet them down so that they are a gluggy paste and feed to the horse.
Digestive Enzymes:
Offer a whole Kiwi fruit to a horse, and he will probably turn his nose up at it; offer some sliced Kiwi fruit by hand or in his feed and most horses gobble Kiwi up. As long as you wash the skin thoroughly, you do not have to peel it. The skin is an important source of fiber.
When it comes to cheese, unfortunately, you cannot give horses this pleasure. It is really important to understand that horses are lactose intolerant, so cheese, ice cream, yogurt, milk, and other similar products should be avoided.
Any kind of a fruit that has a “stone” in it (or pit), like whole peaches, avocados, and cherries, can be dangerous for a horse, because they could choke on the pit. If your horse consumes any of these three things in excess, then it can lead to very bad gas and colic problems that could hurt them.
Assuming the bread is made of wheat flower, yeast, salt and water, there is nothing in the bread that is toxic to horses and can add calories to the ration. Although there is no harm in feeding small amounts of bread intermittently, it is not very nutritious and provides few nutrients.
Can Horses Eat Cucumbers? Yes, horses can eat cucumbers – a welcome answer to those of you with an overabundance of cucumbers growing in your gardens. Cucumbers are a fantastic source of vitamins such as A, K, and C, as well as potassium. What's more, cucumber skin provides horses with a natural dietary fibre.
You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas. Most horses will chew these treats before swallowing, but horses that gulp large pieces of a fruit or vegetable have a risk of choking.
While a lot of time is spent focussed on horses that can't eat grain in their diet, cereal grains such as oats, barley, triticale, corn, rice, rye, sorghum and wheat form a valuable component of many horse's rations.
Most of us know that dogs love peanut butter, and the ingredient can be found in many pet treat recipes. But dogs are not our only 4-legged companions who love peanut butter – horses also love it as a treat!
No, eggs aren't really bad for them. Equine experts tend to agree that mixing in eggs with feed isn't a big issue, as long as the horse doesn't mind. We all know eggs are a great source of protein which have an ideal balance of amino acids, minerals and vitamins.
Watermelon is not harmful to horses. In fact, it is a great treat. In some European countries, watermelon rind is a common horse treat, though it should be cut into small, easy-to-chew pieces. If large pieces of rind are given, horses may choke.
Compared to mare's milk, cow's milk has less sugar and twice the fat. This can lead to diarrhea due to poor digestibility. To better match mare's milk, it's best to feed 2 percent (lower in fat) cow's milk and add dextrose (easily digested sugar) to it.
Feeding honey to mature horses that don't suffer from metabolic disorders and can, in fact, be helpful for enticing picky eaters or hiding medication in feed. However, keep amounts small to ensure that all sugar is fully absorbed in the small intestine.
Aside from being fun and easy pets, did you know they're also useful? Oh, yes. Goldfish can also help keep your horses' water trough clean—under the right conditions, of course.
Horses should not eat potatoes, especially not raw ones. Potatoes are a member of the nightshade family, making them inherently quite toxic to equines.