Are bananas the horse equivalent of marmite?

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Theresa_F

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Jemima the first gypsy mare I shared adored them, whilst Cairo hated them.

Offered one to Chancer and Farra at the weekend, Farra Clydesdale is a known dustbin on legs (yet to find anything she won't eat), adored them whilst Chancer spat it out, and then stood making faces with his tongue hanging out in digust.

Farra was very pleased and gobbled his one immediately.

It seems that they are either loved or hated, just like marmite (which I love but my OH gags on).
 
Toto LOVES bananas, tried to give one to his stable neighbour and she promptly spat it out!

I hate Marmite but Toto loves that too haha
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Quite interesting - my Cob lurves them. Hes at a rehabilitation yard at the mo and the physio is amazed he likes them, i take him one everytime i go and see him!

Please say they arnt poisonous!!!

He loves Diet Coke too!
 
I have this with oranges, dibble loves them and dribbles everywhere while the little two cant stand them. I also had a white grey pony a few years back that would only eat blood oranges again dribbled everywhere so much so someone went call the vet to say he'd been stabbed, only when my friend told them what it was and wiped his chest they then realised and started laughing. That particular pony was fond of bananas too!
 
my boy loves bananas and the skins!! be careful not to give to many though as sun had a few too many (someone else giving him one as they went past as he nearly mugged them for one) and he got protein lumps on his sides
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I have to admit i have never tried a banana for some reason. Probably because i'm not keen so never have them around. Oranges seem like the marmite of the horse world to me, some absolutely love them and some won't eat them. I did traumatise a pony once when he ate a really juicy satsuma and it squirted down his throatm making him drop is and rear. He used to love them but after that wouldn't go near anything citrus for about a year and would stand snorting at it in fear! lol

I've never met a horse yet that doesn't like pears and promptly dribble them all over me
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Old horse i used to look after would go mad for sensations sweet chilli crisps, but obviously he didn't get them very often (mostly as they're my favourites and i don't like to share
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what harm do the skins do?
I started by peeling bananas for my lad but he wolfed them down so fast he took the skin before I could remove it & since then I've just given them whole. (Not often though!)
 
I had a horse who would just eat anything as quick as possible and not even slow down to find out what it was. My mum (none horsey at the time) put a stop to that when she handed him a pork pie!!!! he wasnt that impressed and neither was i
 
not tried bananas... yet...
but she loves rosehips, blackberrys, raspberrys (whole plant!), flap jack and yogurt covered fruit biscuit things
hates - sweed!!!
 
My horse loves bananas and the skins. They are not toxic unless fed in huge quantities.I found a list of things horses can eat and things to avoid which I think is very interesting for all of us
Here is some info for you that may help.

Oddities often consumed by horses on pasture.

No problem, assuming fairly limited quantities and otherwise balanced ration:

• Dandelion
• Thistle (NOT Russian Knapweed or yellow star thistle–Centaurea spp)
• Sunflower seeds and plant
• Peanut plants
• Raspberry/blackberry bushes
• Wood/bark of most trees (NOT Prunus spp or black walnut or locust)

Potential problem if eaten in large quantities:

• Buttercup
• Morning glory
• Pokeweed
• St. Johnswort
• Gum-weed
• Astragulus and Oxytropis spp/(vetches and locoweed)
• Avocado leaves
• Bracken fern
• Most bulb type flowers (tulip, iris, etc.)
• Wilted red maple leaves
• Acorns/new oak leaves

Avoid at all costs (Lethal or severe toxicity potential)
• Lily of the Valley
• Larkspur
• Tomato or potato plants
• Rhubarb leaves and roots
• Poison hemlock
• Foxglove
• Leafy spurge
• Mustards
• Jimsonweed
• Alsike clover
• Blue flax
• Sorghum (Johnsongrass and Sudan grass)
• Oleander
• Privet
• Japanese Yew (all Taxus spp)
• Azalea
• Rhododendron
• Mountain Laurel
• Pits of peaches, cherries, or avocados
• Horsechestnut
• Russian Knapweed or yellow star thistle–Centaurea spp

Potential Treats
Perfectly acceptable treats (fed in limited quantities (<1-2 lbs/feeding)

• Carrots, apples, grapes
• Bananas
• Peas
• Green beans
• Lettuce
• Celery
• Dried beans, such as pinto, red, fava (however should be cooked or heat treated)
• Watermelon rinds
• Squash
• Mangoes (not the seeds)
• Raisins
• Bread/bagels/cake (NOT if they contain chocolate or poppy seeds)
• Pasta, macaroni
• Potato chips and potato products…(do not give raw potatoes to pregnant mare it is toxic……gives them blood poisoning).
• Rice products (not raw rice)
• Barley products
• Corn products
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Fruit juices
• Hot dogs, hamburgers, tuna fish, ham or even roast beef sandwiches!
• Most dog and cat foods
• Zucchini
• Watermelon
• Parsnips
• Pumpkin

Beware large quantities, but probably acceptable in very small amounts (<2 to 4 ounces/day)

• Cabbage, broccoli, kale, chard, collard greens, brussel sprouts
• Spinach
• Rhubarb stems (NOT the leaves or roots)
• Garlic and onions (large amounts may cause anaemia) When lower doses are consumed on a regular basis, or Large amounts are consumed this may cause anaemia...(the same goes for onions.... to much can cause anaemia).
• Turnips
• Radishes
• Avocado (NOT skins or seeds)
• Lathyrus spp. beans (India)
• Sunflower seeds
• Sugar candies such as jelly beans, gummy bears, peppermints, etc.

Safe in very limited quantities BUT WILL CAUSE POSITIVE DRUG TESTS

• Morning glory plants
• Sassafras
• Willow leaves and bark
• Yucca
• Tobacco (consumed, not inhaled)
• Valerian root
• Carrots in very large quantities only (over 5 lbs day)!
• Persimmons (seeds also may cause impaction)
• Chocolate in any form
• Liquorice?
• Cinnamon products
• Nutmeg
• Hot pepper/chilli flavoured products (Nacho chips, etc)
• Non-decaffeinated coffee or tea in any form
• Caffeinated sodas
• Alcoholic beverages?
• Some dog/cat foods (Beware “bakery waste” as an ingredient-may contain chocolate)

Summary:
There are obviously a wide range of things that our horses may enjoy consuming, not all of which are good for their health. Many horses would refuse to even sniff many of the items listed above. Knowing which potential treats are safe, at least in limited quantities, is important for horse owners. You never know what might be offered to your horse!
 
Thanks for that, interesting reading.

Farra last Saturday had tuna mayo sarnies, hula hoops, raspberry yoghurt, a french fancy cake, apple and a swig of coke - my niece likes to share her lunch with them. Chancer was not keen on the yoghurt and prefers the cheese and pickle or ham and pickle sandwiches to the tuna ones.

They do get a big selection of veggies, fruit and bread, I don't throw much away from the kitchen.

Chancer adores broccoli but only gets the stems and stuff we don't eat rather than huge amounts so looks like he will be fine - he also likes cauliflower and cabbage left overs, ditto sprouts, swede, lettace etc. Only thing they don't like is cucumber.

My seem to have tummies that cope well with being fed a varied diet thank goodness as Farra has yet to refuse to eat anything she has been offered.
 
anyone had the same thing with parsnips? grumpy ben will do anything for one but they were the only food donkey spat out - you could almost see her shuddering....
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Ludo loves bananas, but haven't tried giving him the skin yet. It's been a great find for me, as although I love them, I hate bananas when they start to go brown and speckly - so no more throwing them out, give them to Ludo instead. He also quite likes nectarines, but I have to bite bits off for him so he doesn't attempt to chew on the stone!
 
yes with parsnips, most of mine chuck them out of their bucket but then begrudgingly eat them overnight.
as for that list... okay to feed them burgers, tuna, beef sandwiches? ummm, i don't think so...
i must be really boring. my horses get carrots, apples, polos, horse feed, hay, and grass.
human food is for me, not them. i'm far too afraid of them getting colic to risk giving them 99% of the stuff on that list...
 
Anyone tried fresh pineapple? We were trying to load my daughters cob on a trailer the other week for a show. He was being his usual "I'm not in a hurry" self so the only thing to hand to entice him on was our friends breakfast which happened to be carton of fresh pineapple chunks. He loved them and loaded (I know, he's spoilt) straight on. One of our youngsters likes them too but a quick taste test around the yard seems that most don't like pineapple. I have fed stale hot cross buns which they love although I'm not sure if the currents are harmful, still its only an occassional treat.
 
Haha honey will mug you for crisps, chocolate .. steals anything thats in your pockets, loves twix's, carrot tops ..
Anything BUT APPLES :O!

.. Oh but she will drink apple fanta
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And i had to give her apple juice in her feed for month so she would eat her calmer
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You can give horses pasta? Cooked or raw?

I might russell up Josie a spag bol tonight in that case.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't recommend that.When I used to keep my horses opposite a row of houses one of them got colic after a neighbour fed her spag bol.
 
Both of mine adore bananas, they much prefer bananas to carrots or apples!

As for the skins, I think the only reason for not giving them unpeeled is the pesticides -- all the chemicals used in growing the bananas will inevitably end up on the peels.

I do agree that it's not always easy to peel them
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Frodo would kill for a banana and there's no way I can peel it in front of him! He's had a few skins in the past, now I tend to peel it away from him and give him his banana already unpeeled.

I do tend to buy Organic bananas (here they're the same price as non-organic ones!) so hopefully pesticides wouldn't be an issue anyway.
 
Dunno about bananas but had one that didn't like polos (weird or what!?!) but would mug you for a mars bar and she once stole my burger and happily munched it down!! (although the meat content in that was probably <5% given where it was from)
 
I have two exmoors with completely different tastes. My gelding will go nuts for bananas, but my mare spits them out like poison. Definitely a marmite situation at my place!
 
my old horse would eat anything i once left my bag in his stable and he got in and ate egg mayo butties and a packet of fags!wasnt impressed!!he would also mug you for ice lollies and cheeseburgers at shows!!!
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