Do you have a horse? Are you eager to know what a horse likes to eat and what foods should be avoided so that your horse can stay fit and healthy? Do you know whether he can eat peanut butter or not? If yes, then here you can get all the answers here. Sometimes you might be eager to give your horse yummy cooling treats too. However, you need to know which treats are suitable for your horse. Some treats might cause him discomfort and pain if you feed them something wrong. Also, it causes damage to their digestive and urinary systems and sometimes can become fatal.
Whenever you feed your horse, it is always better to stick to a regular feeding routine for your horse’s diet that is mainly hay or grass. However, sometimes your horse might like a peanut butter sandwich, jelly, banana, watermelon, etc. As praise for good work or just like that, it is okay to give them treats occasionally, but you might end up feeding your horse treats that are harmful to them without the right knowledge. So first, let us see what horses can eat, what they cannot eat, and what treats you can feed them.
What Food Can Horses Eat?
As we all know, horses are herbivorous animals and require a specific diet. Their diet must include food with lots of fiber to keep their sensitive digestive tract working. They should consume little quantities frequently at small intervals to keep them working the whole day.
Horses generally eat grass and hay, salt, fruits, etc. Some of the vegetables also add nutrients to their diet. Following is the list of food items you can feed to the horses.
- Hay – It makes the horse feel full and keeps its digestive system working when the grass is not available during cold months.
- Grass – It is their usual food and best for their digestive system. It also contains silica, which is necessary for dental health. But, you should know that too much lush grass intake can cause laminitis to horses, so give them in the required quantity.
- Concentrates – Your veterinary doctor sometimes recommends you to give concentrates such as barley, corn, or oats to your horse as it is old, nursing, pregnant or young. These concentrates provide energy, but if you mix the wrong amount of combinations, they might cause mineral imbalances.
- Fruits and vegetables – Fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, peaches, celery, green beans, etc. add moisture to the food, so they are also important to them.
What Food Horses Like the Most?
We all know that horses eat many things they like, whether they are healthy or not. Horses love anything with sugar in it. You can hardly resist the horses from eating apples, carrots, watermelons, peanut butter, jelly, etc. They love treats because sugars make them salivate more, which in turn helps them in proper digestion. We often feed them treats in return for good work or praise on performing good training.
Sometimes few people even give them treats every day to make them feel good. It is good to treat your horse occasionally, but feeding too much of any treats can have a negative effect. It can lower protein content, dilute vitamins and minerals, and raise the starch level in their body. Sometimes it can also lead to severe digestive problems or even colic or laminitis.
Healthy treats like grated apple and carrots, hay cubes, banana, commercially available horse treats, and above all, sugar cubes are the best treats for horses. Few people even have raised the question, can horses eat peanut butter? Let us discuss this question.
Can Horses Eat Peanut Butter?
As we have seen earlier, horses are adapted to eat natural foods such as grass, hay, fruits, and vegetables, etc. Also, horses like to eat treats, and one of them is peanut butter. It is fine to give them peanut butter occasionally, but again, there are a few reasons when you should avoid peanut butter.
If a horse is overweight, having a nut allergy, or is suffering from an equine metabolic syndrome (i.e., a horse is resistant to insulin), then you should avoid peanut butter. Also, you CAN’T share your peanut butter sandwiches with your horse as bread is not a good option for them. Bread is a part of processed food, and a horse’s digestive system cannot cope with processed foods. They get stuck up in their digestive tract and can increase the chances of colic. Hence, peanut butter as an option for treats can occasionally be given to horses as feeding them too much can negatively impact their balanced diet.
The Bottom Line
In the end, we can conclude that horses can eat peanut butter, but in a limited amount. You can let your horse eat treats, especially the peanut butter but in a considerable amount as they are only ‘treats.’ When they are fed in small amounts, or occasionally, it can create wonders. Hence, all treats provided in moderation are okay. So do not worry and let your horse enjoy peanut butter.
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