Not only are carrots healthy for humans, they are alsoextremely healthy for your horse! Most horses adore eating carrots as treatsand thankfully they are inexpensive and very nutritious!
Can horses eat carrots? Yes, horses can eat carrots and they typically look forward to getting them as treats.
Carrots contain a bushel of vitamins that are essential for a horse’s wellbeing. Always feed any treats with caution, however, and understand that they are only meant to be fed in moderation.
Many horse owners agree that their horses prefer carrots over other treats. If you prepare them correctly and feed them only an allotted amount daily, carrots can serve as a healthy treat for most horses. Use the following guide to make sure that carrots will be safe and nourishing treat for your best horse.
Table of Contents
Carrots Are Healthy for Horses
Carrots are very healthy for horses! Carrots have vitamin C and vitamin A, both antioxidants that support the immune system. One large carrot contains approximately 3.41 grams of sugar and about 7 carbohydrates as well as 2 grams of fiber.
Since they are low in sugar and carbohydrates, carrots are healthy for most horses. Fiber is essential in helping horses maintain a healthy digestive system. Carrots are full of nutrients that are all beneficial to the health of most horses. (source)
Carrot Feeding Details
Different Ways of Feeding Carrots to Horses
As long as you feed carrots in moderation, you can prepare them for your horse in a variety of ways.
Feed them a carrot just the way it is, letting the horse bite off one piece at a time.
Chop up carrots and toss them in your horse’s food trough or on top of their hay.
Bake your own own homemade treats for your horses and add chopped up carrots to the mix as an added treat.
Mix them into your horse’s bran mash as a treat (alone or with other vegetables).
Use a cheese grater and shred up the carrots into tiny pieces to add to various treat mixtures.
Find ways to use them as behavioral enrichment by incorporating into toys or hiding them around the paddock.
Freeze chopped up carrots for your horses. The key is to make sure they are small enough that a horse will not accidentally choke if they swallow them whole.
Wash Carrots Before You Feed Them
Any vegetable or fruit that you feed your hose should be rinsed off first. A carrot travels from the ground to a farmer then off to the grocery store that you found it in. It passes through many hands and is exposed to many germs and possibly even preservatives of some kind.
To clean carrots, you can dip them in saltwater and then rinse them off with cold water. Typically, this removes most of the residue from the surface of the carrot. (source) This makes vegetables safer for you and your horse. After that, the carrot is safe to feed to most horses.
Feed Carrots in Moderation
How many carrots can I feed my horse? All treats should be fed to horses in moderation. Horses notoriously have a sensitive digestive system and too much of certain foods can cause them severe gastrointestinal issues.
Feeding too many carrots in one day could also cause your horse to not eat their normal food, which is essential for proper digestion.
Feeding one to two carrots per day is recommended by the majority of horse owners. I would not feed more than 2 per day and it is helpful if you feed them at different times.
Horses are used to eating small meals throughout the day and breaking up the treats will help maintain their eating schedule.
Carrot Top
Are the carrot tops, the leaves, safe for my horse to eat? Carrot leaves, or tops, are not toxic or poisonous to humans or horses. You can feed the top leafy part of a carrot to horses, however, make sure that you do not overfeed them.
Fresh carrots that haven’t been packaged can be found with the leafy tops still attached. There are some equine enthusiasts out there that believe that the carrot tops are toxic to horses and may cause colic. This is not true, however, you will want to make sure they are free from pesticides.
Quantity of carrot tops fed to horses, just like any other treat, should be limited. Overfeeding any food can be dangerous for horses and lead to colic, a severe digestive issue in horses that is potentially fatal.
Carrot Colors
Can I feed my horse carrots that different colors? Carrots of any shade are okay for horses.
Did you know that carrots come in a few different colors including red, purple, black and yellow? Although they vary in some of their nutrients, which accounts for the different colors, carrots of any shade are okay for horses.
Purple carrots, for example, contain high amounts of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. (source)
Possible Concerns with Feeding Carrots to Horses
Insulin Resistant Horses
Can horses with metabolic issues eat carrots? Carrots are low in sugar and carbohydrates. Due to this, it may be okay to feed one carrot to your horse each day if he or she suffers from metabolic disorders including insulin resistance.
It depends on the specific horse and the severity of its disorder. It is imperative to consult your vet to find out if carrots are appropriate to feed to your horse as a treat. (source)
Horses with HYPP
Horses with HYPP should not eat carrots. Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) is a disorder in horses that requires owners to keep a close eye on the horse’s potassium intake. (source)
One carrot contains about 230 milligrams of potassium. (source) Due to this relatively high potassium content, carrots are not suitable for horses with HYPP. You should never feed them carrots or any treats that contain potassium.
Use Caution When Feeding Carrots to Horses With Teeth Issues
Horses that have dental issues including tooth loss and decay often need to eat foods that are softer and easy to chew. Carrots are crunchy and require quite a bit of chewing, so they are not the best option for feeding as treats to these horses.
If the horse cannot chew carrots up properly, they could inadvertently swallow a piece that is too large and they could choke on it.
You do have the option of cooking the carrots first and then feeding them as a treat, however, cooking vegetables often removes some of their nutrients.
You can also chop them up in very small pieces or shred them into even smaller pieces if you still want to feed carrots to a horse that has tooth issues. (source)
Don’t forget…
Carrots are healthy for most horses.
Talk to your vet before adding carrots toyour horse’s diet.
Always feed carrots in moderation, not morethan 2 per day.
Do not feed to horses with HYPP.
Use caution when feeding carrots to horseswith metabolic disorders.
Be careful feeding carrots to horses withdental issues.
Rinse carrots before feeding them to yourhorse.
Final Thoughts
Carrots, regardless of their hue, are all healthy treats for horses, as long as they are fed in moderation. All treats fed to our equine friends should be fed only in limited quantities. This makes them safer for our horses and prevents overindulgences that could lead to possible farm calls for our veterinarians. Carrots are good for not only us, but for most of our horses as well.
Feeding too many carrots in one day could also cause your horse to not eat their normal food, which is essential for proper digestion. Feeding one to two carrots per day is recommended by the majority of horse owners. I would not feed more than 2 per day and it is helpful if you feed them at different times.
Carrots are very high in vitamin A (carotene), low in saturated fat and cholesterol. To feed carrots to your horse, either cut the carrots longwise or cut each into small pieces. Most horses love to eat carrots, but like other treats, do not feed them too many.
Carrots - as they are fed to the horse, in a fresh state - are NOT high in sugar or NSC (non-structural carbohydrates). Fresh carrots are - by official human food definition - a low sugar food at less than 5% sugar. Carrots are around 80% water, so any sugar in them is diluted i.e. they are mostly water.
High starch feeds should be avoided, including treats such as carrots and apples. To manage and prevent laminitis from occurring, choose a low sugar and starch diet. Look for a combined sugar and starch content of less than 10% (NSC).
Carrots, just like fresh spring grass, may be made up mostly of water, but they still have a relatively high sugar content, so feeding too much can lead to colic or laminitis, especially in horses with metabolic syndrome or Cushing's disease, or those with a history of founder.
Some horses will get especially excited by treats and try to gulp them down. They may even swallow with such voracity that they wind up choking. Break up carrots with your hands or cut them into small pieces.
The truth is that ANYTHING the horse ingests—straight grains, cracked corn, sweet feed, pellets, chunks of apples or carrots—can theoretically cause choke if the material is too large or too dry to pass easily along the esophagus.
Just about anything fed in excess will cause a horse to founder. An occasional apple or carrot (one a day) won't harm your horse unless he/she is obese or has an allergy to those things. A bushel basket of apples or carrots could indeed make a horse founder.
For an average size horse, one or two carrots is sufficient. Feeding too much of any treat can have negative effects on a balanced diet like lowering protein content, raising starch levels and diluting vitamins and minerals.
Most horses love carrots as a reward as they are succulent and crunchy. Carrots are low in energy at around 1.8 Megajoules and contain only 12g of crude protein per kg, which is one-sixth of the content of most grassy hays.
The horses seem to do well on carrots, and they do put weight on with them. Carrots seem to change their coat color a little, their manure is loose, and they certainly enjoy them.
“Studies have shown that horses prefer banana over traditional mint, carrot and apple flavours,” explains equine nutritionist, Olivia Colston MSc. Independent equine nutritionist Fiona Watkins BSc (Hons) Pro Dip highly recommends celery as a healthy treat for your horse.
Because insulin and blood sugar absorption may not be functioning properly in Cushing's horses, dietary management is a must. Horses with PPID are not to be fed high sugar or high starch foods such as traditional grains, treats - like apples and carrots, or pasture grass.
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.
Apples and Carrots Kill Wild Horses.” The strong message is intended to make the public aware that wild horses cannot eat any food that is not from their natural habitat of beach grasses. The public is unaware that their snacks are harmful and often cause painful colic and may result in death.
“Carrots contain vitamin A which is needed for healthy eyes, mucus membranes, skin and hair,” states Mays. “Fortunately, fresh pastures and quality hay provide horses with most of their needed vitamin A.
A horse can eat the entire apple including peel, core and seeds. Can Horses Eat Windfall Apples? Horses can eat windfall apples in small quantities. Care should be taken to check the apple has not rotted and to feed only a couple a day.
Those horse carrots have higher starch levels, more water, less flavor, and minimal natural sweetness. They are a shade of what a carrot should be. They're more impressive when it comes to size, but when it comes to flavor, you're getting almost nothing.
Carrot stretches harness the horse's natural movement to enhance vertebral joint range of motion, build core strength and improve flexibility. Using a carrot, the horse is lured through three different motions including rounding (flexion), hollowing (extension) and side to side (lateral) bending.
Allow the horse to fill up on hay before turning out on grass for a few hours.
Place a grazing muzzle on horses predisposed to foundering to limit their forage intake. Grazing muzzles limit grass intake but allow the horse to exercise throughout the day.
Sweet potatoes can be a tasty treat for horses either raw or cooked. Due to their relatively high starch and sugar content, they should be fed in only small amounts. Feeding large amounts carries some risk, especially when given to starch-sensitive horses.
Feed grass hay, possibly a little alfalfa hay, or rinsed sugar beet, BUT stay away from corn, oats, barley, and especially stay away from sugar as molasses. Feed extra fat in the form of oil or rice bran if you need to get energy into the horse.
The most important thing to remember is that they should only get them in moderation. That means if you do intend to feed carrots to your horse, only give them one or two a day. Horses have notoriously sensitive stomachs and can suffer if they over-consume treats like carrots.
Most horses love carrots as a reward as they are succulent and crunchy. Carrots are low in energy at around 1.8 Megajoules and contain only 12g of crude protein per kg, which is one-sixth of the content of most grassy hays.
How Often Should You Do Carrot Stretches? Just like with any other exercise, it is important to start slowly and build up over time. One or two short repetitions may be all your horse is able to do without straining in the beginning. Follow your horse's lead and never ask them to do more than they are comfortable with.
Horses like to eat sweet treats, whether it be candy, fruits, or sweet grains. Some of their favorites include watermelon, apples, strawberries, bananas, and peppermints. But horses have to eat a certain amount of forage because of their complex digestive system, and most like alfalfa hay the best.
Starch is a carbohydrate found in cereal grains such as barley, maize and oats and provides a good source of fast release energy, particularly useful for horses working hard for short periods.
Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.
What is the fastest way to put weight on a horse? High fat, high protein grain combined with a rich alfalfa hay can quickly put weight on a horse, if there is not an underlying medical condition.
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.
Can Horses Eat Cucumbers? Yes, horses can eat cucumbers – a welcome answer to those of you with an overabundance of cucumbers growing in your gardens. Cucumbers are a fantastic source of vitamins such as A, K, and C, as well as potassium. What's more, cucumber skin provides horses with a natural dietary fibre.
For a different treat, try bananas or celery, or if your horse is an unadventurous eater try low-sugar veg such as swede, parsnips and turnips. These can also act as boredom busters if you hang them in the stable.
Alfalfa averages 10-15% NSC, and oat hay is very high, averaging 22%. Alfalfa can be a good option for a horse with Cushings if they are a hard time holding their weight because it is more calorie-dense than grass hay.
Root vegetables, like sweet potatoes and carrots, are great sources of fibre and carbohydrates—both of which can boost serotonin production. They are also packed with minerals and vitamins beneficial to heart health. Eating nutrient-rich whole carbs can also help lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Horses and ponies diagnosed with PPID/Cushing's Disease should be fed a low sugar and starch diet. ... Horse Feeds for those that maintain a healthy weight:
For an average size horse, one or two carrots is sufficient. Feeding too much of any treat can have negative effects on a balanced diet like lowering protein content, raising starch levels and diluting vitamins and minerals.
Just about anything fed in excess will cause a horse to founder. An occasional apple or carrot (one a day) won't harm your horse unless he/she is obese or has an allergy to those things. A bushel basket of apples or carrots could indeed make a horse founder.
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. Better to avoid these three vegetables!
Because insulin and blood sugar absorption may not be functioning properly in Cushing's horses, dietary management is a must. Horses with PPID are not to be fed high sugar or high starch foods such as traditional grains, treats - like apples and carrots, or pasture grass.
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