# What fruit & veg can horses eat?? And not eat??



## Amber1012 (29 August 2013)

I'm wondering which fruit & veg a horse can eat & more importantly what they shouldn't eat? Does the breed make a difference to which they can/can't/shouldn't have?


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## FinnishLapphund (29 August 2013)

I've replied on other threads about entertaining horses on box rest, with a list of vegetables that horses for example can eat, which also could be hanged up to provide a little entertainment (= supposedly they need to think a little more, than when it is just served in their manger): 

Apples, banana (with or without peel), beets, carrots, celery, lettuce, lemon, mango, melon, orange, parsnip, pears, squash, swedes, turnip and watermelon (with or without rind).  


But my list is not complete, there is other vegetables which horses can eat, but I don't remember which they are, and I don't want to add any guesses to my list. 

I haven't read anything about that the horse breed would make any difference to which vegetables they can or can't eat, but I may have missed that information.


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## Amber1012 (29 August 2013)

FinnishLapphund said:



			I've replied on other threads about entertaining horses on box rest, with a list of vegetables that horses for example can eat, which also could be hanged up to provide a little entertainment (= supposedly they need to think a little more, than when it is just served in their manger): 

Apples, banana (with or without peel), beets, carrots, celery, lettuce, lemon, mango, melon, orange, parsnip, pears, squash, swedes, turnip and watermelon (with or without rind).  


But my list is not complete, there is other vegetables which horses can eat, but I don't remember which they are, and I don't want to add any guesses to my list. 

I haven't read anything about that the horse breed would make any difference to which vegetables they can or can't eat, but I may have missed that information. 



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Ah that's great, thank you!  some of then I would never have thought to give so I'll try them out!


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## MagicMelon (29 August 2013)

Have yet to find a horse who eats banana or oranges...!  But mine will generally eat peelings of all the usual veg things as well as root veg and lettuce.  If your horse is on box rest - they love branches too! Whenever my mum is gardening, she always gives the horses big branches to play with (with leaves on - safe ones only though obviously!), they love them.  One grabs onto it and loonies about the field, others eat the leaves off them, others spend days taking the bark off.


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## tiga71 (29 August 2013)

Izzy LOVES bananas - they are his favourite treat. He also eats satsumas, oranges, mango, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, melon, plums, nectarines, apples, carrots, parsnips, pears (ripe and squishy only). He doesn't like kiwi fruit, swede or celery.


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## Finn (29 August 2013)

My horse LOVES bananas, grapes, melon, apples, pears and swede. I put the swede on some string and hang it in her stable to play with/ eat.


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## catroo (29 August 2013)

My ponies favourite is the good old apple but bananas come close second, they have them whole so it can get very messy. Just been in the supermarket and the watermelons caught my eye, thought a whole one of these would keep them entertained for a while. Anybody fed them whole?


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## LittleRooketRider (29 August 2013)

not fruit or veg but my horse is partial to a custard cream or maybe three or four...oh and ring doughnuts


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## dunkley (29 August 2013)

All mine will mug you for oranges!  They eat the whole lot, cut into 1/4s, and you need to stand well back, as it is very messy


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## yaffsimone1 (29 August 2013)

My cob used to love all with the skin on bananas, oranges, grapefruit, plums, pears, peaches, grapes, swedes, parsnips....wasn't too fond of dates, he looked at me funny when he spat it out! Melon he didn't like at all

Foods he likes but pinched without me knowing.... salt and vinegar crisps, ham sandwiches and cold coffee!


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## ktj1891 (29 August 2013)

My pony loved banana!


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## HaffiesRock (29 August 2013)

My pony snorted and jumped backwards when I offered him a banana, and he eats ANYTHING!

He has decimated the blackberry bushes in the hedge row so I might try him with some of the things suggested


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## montanna (29 August 2013)

The thought of eating a lemon makes me cringe! Neither of mine have liked bananas either.


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## HaffiesRock (29 August 2013)

Do you all just feed these from your hand? I think I'd be inclined to just leave them in the field for him to find and investigate


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## catroo (29 August 2013)

HaffiesRock said:



			Do you all just feed these from your hand? I think I'd be inclined to just leave them in the field for him to find and investigate 

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I shut them in the yard area and then throw fruit and veg around the field for them to find, not everyday obviously, maybe once a month for a treat.

I've also started rolling apples down the field (on a slight hill) as one of them has good fun following scent trials, head down snorting away . . . very funny


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## Polos Mum (29 August 2013)

My old horse was so keen on bananas he ate just the skins - handy at a show if you were eating and not near a bin!!


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## HaffiesRock (29 August 2013)

I feel some fun coming on this evening!


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## tiga71 (29 August 2013)

I feed sometimes from the hand, in the lorry for example, but usually they are put in his hay or I make up a fruit salad for him in his bowl. Not thought about them in the field.


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## SuperH (29 August 2013)

I was always told never to feed potatoes.  I've tried several other fruits and vegetables if I've had something gone past eating ourselves, sometimes they will eat it, sometimes not.  Neither of mine are keen on parsnip or kiwi.  One won't eat orange but the other loves them.  One loves swede, the other isn't as keen.  One likes broccoli too.  I just trial and error with them to see what they like.


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## kerrieberry2 (29 August 2013)

MagicMelon said:



			Have yet to find a horse who eats banana or oranges...!  But mine will generally eat peelings of all the usual veg things as well as root veg and lettuce.  If your horse is on box rest - they love branches too! Whenever my mum is gardening, she always gives the horses big branches to play with (with leaves on - safe ones only though obviously!), they love them.  One grabs onto it and loonies about the field, others eat the leaves off them, others spend days taking the bark off.
		
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mine eat banana's the mare will eat the inside the gelding loves the skins!  I found this out when he picked one up that someone had chucked on the grass!


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## FinnishLapphund (29 August 2013)

catroo said:



			My ponies favourite is the good old apple but bananas come close second, they have them whole so it can get very messy. Just been in the supermarket and the watermelons caught my eye, thought a whole one of these would keep them entertained for a while. Anybody fed them whole?
		
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As I understand it, you can cut Watermelon (or a Cantaloupe) in half or smaller pieces, perhaps remove seeds and core, and serve with or without rind. 


I've read through this thread, and had a look around on the internet to try and find what more vegetables and fruits that horses can eat, so here is a revised list:

Apples, apricots (without the "stone"), 
bananas (with or without peel), beets, blackberries, blueberries, 
cantaloupe, carrots, celery, cherries (without pit and stalk), (small pieces of) coconut, cucumber, 
dates (without pit)
figs
grapes, grapefruit,
horseradish, 
kiwi (washed thoroughly it can be served with skin, but horses may prefer kiwi in slices), 
lettuce, lemon, limes,  
mangoes, melons, 
nectarines (without pit),
oranges, 
parsnip, peaches (without pit), pears, (rings/small pieces of) pineapple, plums (without pit), pumpkin (give only the flesh without seeds),
raisins, raspberries, rutabagas, 
squash (without skin), strawberries, swedes, sweet potatoes, 
tangerines, turnips and 
watermelons (with or without rind).


I've read that satsumas are okay to feed, but also that they contains acids so that you should not feed them too much or too often, so I didn't put satsumas on the list.  
I've read that you can feed corn without the core/cob, but also that you should not feed it too often, so I didn't put corn on the list either.  
I've read some pages that says that cabbage can be fed, and some that says that it should not be fed, but I haven't seen any explanation for why some says that they can be fed/not fed, so I don't know what to think, and decided to not put cabbage on the list. 
I've also read that some says that you should not feed horses broccoli or cauliflower, because they may cause gas, which in turn may cause gas colic, so they might not be safe to feed, even thought that they're not actually poisonous, so they're also not on the list. 

Lastly, remember that it is usually best to feed most things with moderation.


ETA Note that sweet potatoes is not the same as potatoes, they're only distantly related to each other and the sweet potato does not belong to the nightshade family, which the potato does belong to.


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## RainbowDash (29 August 2013)

Oh - didnt know about blackberries  - guess who us going blackberry picking on her way to collect Boyo out his field tomorrow B) x


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## madmav (29 August 2013)

Weirdly, just witnessed a horse wolfing down a banana. He loved it. My horse from yesteryear ate anything that stayed still for long enough (all stolen by him). A boiled egg, ham sandwiches, Guinness, and much more. It was the bad old 70s. Amazingly, lived to be almost 30.


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## snooples (29 August 2013)

My horse LOVES blackberries, its nearly that time of the year where we go for our walk down the bushes and when I pick them it goes one blackberry in the bucket one blackberry for the horse


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## debsg (30 August 2013)

MagicMelon said:



			Have yet to find a horse who eats banana or oranges...!  But mine will generally eat peelings of all the usual veg things as well as root veg and lettuce.  If your horse is on box rest - they love branches too! Whenever my mum is gardening, she always gives the horses big branches to play with (with leaves on - safe ones only though obviously!), they love them.  One grabs onto it and loonies about the field, others eat the leaves off them, others spend days taking the bark off.
		
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My TB mare loves willow but one day she pulled a long branch down and was busily devouring the leaves when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the branch move and took off across the field. Unfortunately she neglected to let go of the branch and clamped it in her mouth so as fast as she galloped around, the branch followed 
I know it was mean but I laughed til I cried. She did suss it out. Eventually 
Re the fruit, mine are very unadventurous. Blaze loves sprouts on the stalk and broccoli.
My friend's horses love bananas, oranges and squishy pears.
I've heard that potatoes are poisonous to horses as they contain a chemical called ptomaine.
None of mine will eat human food like cake, crisps or biscuits. Not that I feed them! Even polos are suspect!


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## tankgirl1 (30 August 2013)

Sorry not read the whole thread as I am sleepy. 7 yo DS was desperate to know how Boyo would react to a slice of lemon, seeds removed as per google advice. We were hoping for face pulling and then some... much to our disappointment Boyo just nommed it and looked at us for more! xx


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## LadyGascoyne (30 August 2013)

One of ours loves watermelon. We put them in whole and he paws at it until it breaks open. Unfortunately he's a grey which means an awful lot of hosing down afterwards!


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