What Do Horses Like to Eat for Treats?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Horses can eat most of the snacks humans eat. Even though horses are picky eaters, they can eat a lot of snacks. You need to be cautious about your treats. Some snacks may upset the digestive system of your equine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what do horses like to eat for treats? Some of the best snacks to consider giving your horse include<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Bananas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Strawberries<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Apples<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lettuce<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Celery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cucumber<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Carrots<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Oranges<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pears<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Beer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pumpkins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Melon<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mints<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Bananas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bananas are always healthy for humans, and it’s quite the same for horses. The good thing is that horses also love bananas<\/a> for their sweetness. Some people feed a whole banana to their horses. In this case, they do not even peel the outer skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eating the entire banana while it’s still intact with the outer skin may sound insane to humans, and of course, it is. However, the whole thing for horses is different since they find the outer skin sweet the same way as the flesh. If you choose to feed your horse bananas, including the skin, clean the outer skin first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also peel the banana before feeding it to your horse. If you choose to peel the banana, you should be ready to continue doing that every time. Once your horse gets used to the sweet taste of the banana flesh only, it may no longer eat the outer skin. So once you notice your horse rejecting a whole banana, just know you are in for some peeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may also go the extra mile when snacking your horse with bananas. Unlike feeding the banana directly to your horse, you may peel, cut and freeze the bananas. Cutting helps the horse to eat with ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, freezing helps feed horses bananas during hot seasons. Many people are not familiar with freezing bananas, but horses love it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strawberries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strawberries are among the most common human fruits. At the same time, humans have been feeding strawberries to horses ever since the onset of their domestication. Strawberries make good treats for horses.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as we find strawberries sweet, horses enjoy them the same way. Though horses love this treat, you must clean them before feeding. Remember that when the strawberries are on the farms, the farmers spray them with insecticides and other chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there is dirt or chemicals on the skin of the strawberries, your horse may suffer from stomach<\/a> issues. If your horse feeds on dirty strawberries for a long time, other health problems may also arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you provide the strawberry treats correctly to your horse, it should be in for many health benefits. Strawberries contain many healthy nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you should be aware that this fruit has a lot of sugar, just like other treats for horses. Even though this strawberry sugar is natural, it may still impact your horse negatively. The case may be worse if your horse has some insulin problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
They say, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” <\/em>To horses, the saying is not so different. This fruit is a good treat and has some animal health benefits. You may feed your horse whole apples <\/a>or cut them into halves. However, many people prefer to cut the apples into halves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cutting the apples aids in making the feeding process simpler for your horse. Apples are sweet, but the sweetness levels may change with the type of apple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some horses may prefer specific varieties of apples, while others may feed on all of them. Before feeding your horse apples, ensure you wash their skin thoroughly. While apples are in the orchards, farmers spray them with pesticides and other chemicals. Washing assures you that your horse will not come to contact with the chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have many apples around, consider turning them into horse snacks. The best time to convert apples to horse snacks is when they begin turning color. Do not feed your horse too many apples since they have too much sugar. Apart from the side effects of sugar, apples have many valuable nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, and potassium.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Horse](\"https:\/\/thehorsesguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Horse-eating-apple.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nLettuce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When wondering what horses’ favorite treats are, know that crunchy and fresh lettuce is the best. With high water content and a lot of fiber, this treat is absolutely a real deal. Unlike other horse treats, such as fruits, lettuce does not have a lot of sugar. You are free to feed this treat to your horse as much as you wish since it is super healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Celery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Just like lettuce, most horses love celery due to its crunchiness. There are only a few horses that don’t like celery. Such horses are picky eaters and can only take minimal amounts of celery at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Celery contains a lot of health benefits. You may improve the digestion of your horse using this snack. Nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and phosphorus are available in celery. Remember to wash the celery correctly before feeding it to your horse. Washing helps in removing insects and dirt that may harm your horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may feed celery to your horse<\/a> whole or either cut it into small sizes. Some horses love to take the celery as a whole. To younger horses cutting the celery can help in chewing and even digesting. It is essential to monitor the feeding behavior of your horse before choosing how to feed it the celery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cucumber<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cucumber falls inside the bracket when looking for the perfect treats for your horse. Its low level of calories makes this treat healthy for your horse. When feeding cucumber to your equine, you don’t have to limit the amount it can take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another advantage is that you can grow this plant in your garden. Even in a small garden, cucumbers always thrive well. Before feeding cucumbers to your horse, you need to wash them carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carrots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do horses like carrots? Carrots fall among the treats horses love. These vegetables are tasty and bring additional health benefits. Some vitamins and minerals are available in this treat, thus increasing its worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though carrots have several minerals and vitamins, there are instances when you shouldn’t feed them to horses. One of the most common occasions is when your horse suffers from laminitis. Once your horse eats carrots while suffering from this condition, the symptoms and pain may increase.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Horse](\"https:\/\/thehorsesguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Horse-eating-carrot.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOranges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You enjoy your orange the same way a horse wants this fruit. The only significant difference is that horses can eat oranges in full. That means eating without removing the outer orange skin. You can also peel the oranges before feeding them to your horse. Some horses love eating oranges without the outer skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may make the experience much better when you peel the orange and refrigerate it. Freezing the oranges makes a perfect refreshing snack for your horse. When you begin freezing oranges and feeding them to your horse, they may get addicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once your horse tastes cold oranges, it may be hard to eat the normal oranges. You may also give your horse some sips of orange drink. As insane as it may sound, you should know that horses love orange juice as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you choose to cheer up your horse with some orange juice, just don’t give it too much. Orange juice may contain too much sugar, which may be harmful. Too much sugar in your horse may trigger illnesses like laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pears<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pears have almost the same texture and feel as apples. Since horses already love apples, it is definite that pears are also their favorite. Unlike apples, horses find it challenging to eat pears in whole. Apples are well round, while pears have an uneven shape. It is best to slice pears into small sizes before feeding your horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pears have the same health benefits as apples and other horse snacks. If you cut pears into suitable sizes, you may feed them to your horse without restriction. The sugar level in this fruit is also good, and you shouldn’t worry about any adverse outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When you are away from fruits for a while, beer is among the top treats you should consider for your horse. As insane as it may sound, beer makes the perfect treat for horses. An occasional can of beer can help cheer up your horse. However, you should not create a whole beer party for your horse in the barn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to horses, beer proves to be relatively healthy in many aspects. Unlike in humans, where there are several side effects, in horses, beer helps mostly in bonding. This reason ranks beer among the best treats for horses. The best way to give beer to your horse is by adding it to its feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pumpkin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pumpkin falls among the human vegetables that are also safe for horses. You can find pumpkins almost anywhere. After Halloween, your horse may enjoy a lot of pumpkins since they tend to cost less. Horses can eat whole pumpkins, including the outer skin. You don’t have to peel, but it is important to remove the seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Melons are a favorite of horses because of their sweet taste and high water content. The water level in melons makes them perfect treats, especially on hot days. Also, you don’t have to remove the seeds. These seeds do not have any negative effects on your horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite being sweet and healthy, you should not feed melons in large amounts at once. Too much melon may lead to bloating. The level of water in the fruit may be the cause of bloating. Before feeding melons to your horse, make sure you cut them into small pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Horse](\"https:\/\/thehorsesguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Horse-eating-watermelon.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nMints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The taste and smell of mint are always attractive to humans. To your horse, the effect is relatively the same. Horses love mint and always yearn for more when you introduce it. However, mint has a high sugar content, and you must be keen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some horses have restrictions when it comes to their diet. Even though mints make good horse snacks, dietary restrictions may limit mint consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which Treats NOT to Give Your Horse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Even though many treats are friendly and improve horses’ health, some can be harmful. Below are some of the most harmful treats for horses<\/a> that you should look out for<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Avocados<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cabbage<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tomatoes<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Avocados<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Surely avocados are interesting to you but not so much to horses. Even though some horses may find this fruit sweet, it may raise some health concerns. All avocados have a toxic effect that may negatively affect a horse. Due to this effect, you should never feed avocado to your horse, even in small amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cabbage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cabbage is full of vitamins, and you may think it is a good treat for your horse. However, the reality is that it is not. Despite having nutrients, cabbage contains a lot of gas that may negatively affect your horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tomatoes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ripe tomatoes are attractive and delicious to humans but not similar to horses. Your horse may find tomatoes unpleasant due to their smell. The taste is also not pleasing. However, there are no specific side effects of tomatoes, but the taste and smell are not so welcoming to your horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Difference Between Organic and Commercial Snacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Organic horse treats come from natural ingredients and are among the foods horses can eat. These ingredients do not go through any additional processing. Natural whole-food ingredients are the main items in the making of these treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commercial horse treats include the addition of G.M.Os and go through other additional processes. There are several pros and cons of commercial and organic horse treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Find out more below:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organic Snacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Horsemen's](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/417cdyiOtNL._SL160_.jpg\")
<\/span><\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n ![\"Buckeye](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51TTQ3TxyJL._SL160_.jpg\")
<\/span><\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n ![\"Nutrigood](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41Dm8LLXLRL._SL160_.jpg\")
<\/span><\/div> <\/div>\n\n \n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n ![\"DPD](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51h-DYckcUL._SL160_.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n ![\"Probios](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41wBBp6T2fL._SL160_.jpg\")
\n <\/a>\n\n