10 Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse

While humans are living examples of loving food and wanting to have some extraordinary dishes from time to time, who said horses cannot have that craving? Having a horse in your farm can be quite a nice sight. Making it bathe, taking it out for a ride and letting it loose sometimes to wander on its own – can we just not sit the entire evening and watch the gracious animal do its own things? While horses are such a delight to watch, it is a delight to them as well, when we treat them to special delicacies of food occasionally.We have given below brief descriptions of horse breeds to enable you to have an idea about them and it will help while buying a horse.

But, but my friend! Have you taken an opinion of what to feed them and what NOT to give your horse? Every animal is different and so are his or her feeding habits. So, to help you ease out on this, we have got to you some foods you shouldn’t be feeding your horse. Take notes my friend.

Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse

Chocolates

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Yes! While we humans simply cannot resist this piece of food, it might be quite toxic to some animals, especially horses. They can cause seizures, colic and metabolism derangements in the horses if chocolates are given to them. In extreme cases, it can also cause internal bleeding amongst horses.

Fruits – In Large Quantities

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While fruits are quite good for all living beings one earth, anything in excess can be harmful, right? At the maximum, one or two fruits per day to your horse is really good for them, but do not just give them a basket full of fruits to chew on their own They will not be able to identify the soar and spoilt fruits from the good ones and plus so many fruits together might cause quite an upside down to the digestive system of the animal.

Persimmons

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This is an interesting orange colored fruit. But, it contains seeds and fibers that are stick in nature and may not be very good for the horse’s digestive system. In fact, horses are quite attracted to this fruit, and if you have these plants and trees in your backyard, the horse might just go and grab them. So, be extra careful with these Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse.

Caffeine

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Can humans just do without coffee a day! Well, while we are used to it, and our bodies accept it, the body of horses function differently. Drinks like tea, coffee, and cola have an ingredient trimethylxanthine, which might cause irregular heartbeat in the horse.

Avocados

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The avocado, overall, may not be harmful to the horse, but the skin and pit is the Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse since it is not very good for them. Do not even give them the leaves of this plant.

Ideally, beginners are provided with even-tempered horses having easy gaits. In other words, they learn faster, respond almost instantaneously and stick to their usual behavioral patterns of genteel and calm nature. So if you wish to broaden your knowledge base about few best Different Breeds of Horses for Beginners, here’s what you must read.

Milk Products

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Yes! Sadly, horses cannot digest those ingredients that are present in milk products, especially Lactose that makes it yet another Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse. This is found highly in all milk products, and the most in Yogurt. Wondering the side effects? Since Lactose cannot be digested by the horse, and can cause diarrhea to the animal.

Lawn Clippings

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Though these might be easy for the horse to chew and eat, they might cause colic and laminitis. Plus, these lawn clippings are a form of cut grass and might sit in the insides of the horse for about 2 days, thus taking longer time to digest.

Potatoes

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This food item contains compounds known as the Atropine, which is not very good for Horses and their nervous system. With potatoes, horses should not be given food of nightshades as well. It is recommended that you do not give them the stems and leaves of this food as well.

Pitted Fruits

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They are the fruits that have a pit in the middle. Giving these fruits to your adorable animal have a high chances of causing choking to the animal. Pitted fruits like cherries, dates and apricots shall always be avoided. If you still want to give them the benefits of this fruit, remove the pit, break the fruit into smaller parts and then present it to them.

Bread

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These are the Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse since these products contain doughs made of flour, it can get quite difficult for the animal to digest it. Bread and other baked items shall always be avoided for this animal. It can cause blockages in the gastrointestinal system of the horse and can also lead to colic.

While these foods have their own benefits and disadvantages, it is always better to consult a vet doctor before adding or deleting these from the diet of your horse. Check for allergies too by knowing all about the Foods you shouldn’t be feeding Your Horse for your horse accordingly.