8 foods you should never give your horse | Equi supermarket (2024)

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8 foods you should never give your horse | Equi supermarket? ›

Avocados, chocolate, coffee, tea, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, rhubarb, and the pits and seeds of fruits are all foods you shouldn't feed your horse. Toxic properties in these foods cause gastrointestinal pain, exhaustion, and even death.

Avocados, chocolate, coffee, tea, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, rhubarb, and the pits and seeds of fruits are all foods you shouldn't feed your horse. Toxic properties in these foods cause gastrointestinal pain, exhaustion, and even death.

You should not plant cherries, peaches, apricots or plums anywhere near where you plan to keep horses. Nor should you ever feed the foliage of these trees to your horses. Likewise, you should not grown Black Walnut anywhere near horses. However, Pecan is safe for horses, though horses may not be safe for young pecans.

Potatoes

Equines don't usually like the taste of potatoes, but they might get tempted to eat it at some point. Potatoes are part of the nightshade family, making them toxic to horses. It contains a compound called atropine, which can affect your horse's autonomic nervous system.

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.

Under no circ*mstances 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.

Horses always need to have access to roughage (grass, hay, haylage etc.) and fresh water. For the majority of horses, a feeding regime that directly replicates their natural diet serves as the best foundation for a healthy balance.

Some horses get so excited about eating whole apples, they try to swallow them without chewing. This can cause the apple to become stuck in the horse's esophagus, requiring emergency veterinary care to remove the obstruction. Choking can also increase the risk of developing aspiration pneumonia.

These vegetables are absolutely NOT safe for your horse to eat: avocados, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, regular potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. Avoid feeding horses these vegetables at all costs!

Poison Hemlock and Water Hemlock: Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) and water hemlock (Cicuta species) are both very toxic to horses. They are often found in moist areas and exude an unpleasant, parsnip-like odor when cut.

What is a horse's favorite food? ›

Apples and carrots are traditional favorites of horses. Full of healthy nutrients, these treats are good for your horse and delicious! Chop up the apples and carrots into smaller pieces when giving them to your horse. Slicing up the apples and carrots will help avoid any potential choking problems.

Dairy Products - It's best to avoid all forms of dairy produce as horses, like many other animals, are lactose intolerant. Feeding dairy to your horse could cause severe diarrhoea, and prolonged feeding can lead to more serious problems with digestion, including colic.

In 732 AD, Pope Gregory III began a concerted effort to stop the ritual consumption of horse meat in pagan practice. In some countries, the effects of this prohibition by the Catholic Church have lingered, and horse meat prejudices have progressed from taboos to avoidance to abhorrence.

Peanut butter is actually safe for horses to eat, but you do need to be wary of feeding too much. The main reason is because peanut butter is high in calories and oil.

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.

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.

The egg is an amazing powerhouse of nutrition and other functional factors that offer added digestive support for horses. Eggs are an exceptional source of protein containing an ideal balance of amino acids as well as iron, vitamins, minerals and carotenoids.

Concerns and dangers to horses

The cuttings can compact and become lodged in the horse's throat, causing them to choke. Choke can potentially be very serious and distressing to the horse. Grass cuttings can also cause the horse to develop a potentially life-threatening stomach-ache known as colic.