How To Find Safe Vegetables and Fruit for Horses

A horse's diet is bland.Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals.Some fruits and vegetables can be harmful to horses.Tomatoes and potatoes are the most dangerous vegetables for horses.If you give your horse too many fruits and vegetables, it may be harmful.

Step 1: Dark blue and red fruits are great for your horse's diet.

Blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and red grapes have anti-oxidants that help keep your horse healthy.The fruits are safe for horses.Pick a seedless variety or remove the seeds if you want your horse to eat cherries.

Step 2: You should include orange fruits and vegetables.

Carrots are safe for horses.Papaya, mango, cantaloupes, and apricots are some of the orange fruits that contain a powerful form ofcarotene.It is important for your horse's general health that it is able to produce vitamins A and C.Fruits such as oranges and grapefruits are good for your horse's health.

Step 3: In small quantities, add other safe fruits and vegetables.

Most fruits and vegetables are safe for horses to eat.Give your horse a piece of fruit or vegetable and see how it reacts.Horses are capable of eating bananas peel and all.Bananas are rich in vitamins.figs and dates have high levels of calcium and zinc.

Step 4: Provide apples, peaches, and other sweet fruits occasionally.

The apples and peaches that horses love are high in sugar.Use these as occasional treats if you know how much sugar your horse is consuming.A single apple has 13 grams of sugar.A single apricot has 3 grams of sugar.

Step 5: Don't eat fruits if your horse has resistance to the drug.

Horses with IR need a diet that is low in sugar.Sugary treats can raise the risk of diabetes.If your horse is on a low sugar/low starch diet, don't feed apples or carrots, which are higher in sugar and starch than other fruits and vegetables.Apple, banana, and orange peels, as well as watermelon rinds, can be a tasty treat that has little to no sugar compared to the fruit inside.

Step 6: Don't eat vegetables in the Solanaceae plant family.

The toxic plant family includes potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, and eggplant.If you feed your horse vegetables from this family, they could become ill.A chemical compound in the leaves of a tomato plant can cause illness.The chemical hyoscyamine is found in tomatoes and can cause dry mouth, increased heart rate, and more.

Step 7: Don't eat vegetables that can cause gas.

Vegetables such as onions, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprout can cause GI problems in your horse.The problem won't cause any serious medical issues, but it will cause your horse some pain.Each horse has a delicate system for handling fruits and vegetables.If your horse experiences a stomach upset after eating a new fruit or vegetable, it's a good idea to stop feeding it that food again.

Step 8: Before feeding, wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.

If you buy organic fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly to make sure they are free of pesticides, chemicals, and other contaminants.It's usually enough to clean them if they're Rinsing them in regular tap water.A brush or a mesh scrubber can be used to scrub melon rinds.You should inspect the fruits and vegetables as you wash them.If possible, remove the rotten parts or throw the whole piece away.

Step 9: Cut fruits and vegetables into strips small enough for your horse to eat.

The fruits and vegetables can get stuck in your horse's throat if you don't rinse them before feeding them.You can inspect the inside of the fruit or vegetable for mold.Your horse's size affects the size of the strips.It is possible for your horse to take the treat in its mouth and not chew it a lot.Even carrots should be sliced ahead of time since a large bite could get lodged in your horse's throat.Fruits and vegetables should be sliced in smaller pieces.

Step 10: There are pits and larger fruit seeds.

The seeds of some fruits are toxic to your horse.The pits should be removed from peaches or apricots.Your horse could choke on the pits.If you're feeding apples to your horse, cut them into slices and discard the core.The cyanide in the seeds might not be enough to cause problems for your horse, but it could easily choke on the core.It's better to buy seedless grapes and cherries for your horse.All you have to do is wash them.

Step 11: Older horses prefer cubes of 4 in (0.64 cm) with harder fruits and vegetables.

Older horses may have dental issues that make it hard for them to chew.They may swallow larger pieces if they aren't chewing well.Older horses may have more sensitive stomachs.An older horse may get upset after eating fruits and vegetables that it could eat without a problem when it was younger.Put harder fruits and vegetables in a food processor or mash them up with water to make them easier to eat.

Step 12: If your horse is well-behaved, give it treats by hand.

To allow the treat to take the food from your hand, hold it out towards your horse with your palm flat.Push the treat into your horse's mouth gently, rather than jerking your hand away.If you jerk your hand away, your horse may bite you.Horses eat small amounts of food on a daily basis.If you feed your horse this way, you may get a treat every time you raise your hand.

Step 13: If you're worried your horse will get cold, use a bucket.

If you want your horse to eat some of the fruits and vegetables you put in a small bucket, hold it out for him.Don't pull the bucket until your horse is done.You can either put the bucket on the ground or hang it near the horse's trough.Your horse will find the produce and eat it.You can take the bucket.

Step 14: Only 1 or 2 pieces of any treat can be offered at a time.

If you give your horse fruits and vegetables, it will want more.Too many of these treats can cause your horse to become overweight.Fruits and vegetables are good for your horse, but only in moderation.An adult horse can cut a medium apple into slices and eat it.You could try 6 cherries, a small fig, or 10 grapes.If you put your horse out to eat, make sure it isn't near a fruit tree that is bearing fruit.Your horse may be hungry.

Step 15: You shouldn't give your horse treats every day.

Horses are used to being around other animals.If you give your horse treats at the same time each day, it will come to expect them.If this expectation isn't fulfilled, bad behavior may occur.Try to give your horse fruits and vegetables as a treat 2 or 3 times a week.Fruits and vegetables can be used as a reward for a good performance if you're training your horse for an equestrian activity.Don't make this a regular occurrence or your horse will come to expect it.

Step 16: In an older horse's regular grain, mix fruits and vegetables.

Older horses can't eat on their own.If you mix them with the horse's feed, they shouldn't have any problems.Younger horses may be able to digest fruits and vegetables if mixed with their regular feed.Add no more than 1 to 2 pounds of vegetables to your horse's feed.