Most people like to feed their horses with treats such as apples. However, too much of something is poisonous, and this is true for fruits. When your horse has a belly filled with apples, it is likely to cause colic, which may further lead to founder. You should not give your horse more than two pieces of fruit.
Some horses suffer from metabolic issues such as Cushing's and insulin resistance. Unfortunately, since apples contain sugar, they probably should not be fed to these horses. There are more healthy treats that are designed specifically for these horses that you can feed them instead.
Almost any fruits, and many vegetables, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas.
Fruit in Large Quantities
Many of us like to feed our horses apples as treats. But excessive amounts of fruit can become too much of a good thing. A belly full of apples or any other fruit can cause colic or other complications. 1 You probably should not feed your horse more than one or two pieces of fruit.
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.
Potato poisoning in horses only occurs when a horse is fed a large amount of potatoes, which are sometimes viewed by farmers as cheap and filling feed. Such feedings, however, are dangerous because horses are vulnerable to alkaloids, chemical compounds found within the potato and other members of the nightshade family.
Persin, a substance derived from fatty acids contained in avocados, is believed to be the toxin responsible for health problems in horses and other animals that eat the fruit.
Bananas are a healthy source of potassium for horses and are a fruit they really enjoy eating. Bananas are a very popular food for riders to give their race horses as they give that extra boost of energy. You can feed bananas to horses with the skin still on as the whole fruit is beneficial for their health.
Sweet, crunchy carrots are the perfect treat for most horses. They're rich in vitamins and minerals and they're made up of 90% water. Given in moderation, they can be a great tool for fostering a bond with your horse, and even for use as a reward during training.
Horses can eat banana peels, but not all of them will be interested in eating them, owing to their bitter taste. The peels are just as healthy for your horse as the banana itself, also containing potassium and vitamin B.
Put Apples in Your Horse's Water
If you're at a competition and your horse just isn't accepting the water you're offering to them, try cutting up and apple and putting the pieces in the water bucket. Horses love treats, so more than likely your horse will go after the bobbing apple in the water bucket.
We buy a bag of apples for ourselves, and when they start to turn, they are converted to horse treats. Just remember not to feed them too often because they are full of sugar. Here are some of the vitamins and nutrients in an apple: potassium, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Fruit seeds and pits:
Some fruits – such as apples and apricots – have pits or seeds which contain cyanide compounds, which are toxic in extremely large quantities. Large pits can cause choke, so it's best to remove them before offering your horse fruit such as peaches or nectarines.
Phosphorus is required for bone structure and energy metabolism. Apples also provide all important fiber to the equine diet,” notes Mays. From healthy fruit to nutritional vegetable, the carrot makes a welcomed treat for your horse. Mays notes to also be careful to avoid choking when feeding carrots.
Under no circumstances should tomatoes be fed to horses, she says. They contain multiple toxins in the fruit and plant that are poisonous to horses and many other animals. Tomatoes come from the Solanaceae family, which also includes deadly nightshade and many other toxic plants.
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.
What started out as food for race horses has become the occasional treat for everyday horses. 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.
Absolutely! Horses enjoy celery, corn, lettuce, squash, sweet potatoes, and turnips. Vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, too. For example, carrots are high in Vitamin A and celery is a good source of Vitamin K.
Dairy Products
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.
Oranges are a safe and healthy treat for most horses, if they are fed in limited quantities and fed in small pieces. Orange peelings, seeds and flesh are all safe for healthy horses to eat as treats.
Garlic, onions and other similar foods such as leeks, chives and shallots contain n-propyl disulphide, which is a toxic component for horses. N-propyl disulphide can destroy red blood cells which leads to a condition known as Heinz Body Anaemia.
Potatoes
As members of the nightshade family, potatoes are toxic to horses. Raw potatoes are more dangerous than cooked potatoes, but potato poisoning is possible will all types of this starchy vegetable.