Fact or Fiction?

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Kate260881

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"Banana's can give horses colic"

I got told this the other day and have never heard it before. Apparently there is something in them that can give them colic. Now I'm not in the habit of feeding my horse whole bunches of bananas but if I have one I'll share (and she likes the skin). Anyone else heard of this?
 
Wow never heard this before.
Actually was advised to feed one of my old ponies a whole banana once a week, as he needed the vits and minerals from it
Ever since all ours have eaten the skins and never had one look unwell from it
Maybe they have to eat lots of them!!!!
 
Oh, I should have mentioned that the person I heard it from has a reputation for shall we say 'bending the truth'. Just got me wondering though. Penny will be having a banana, orange and apple today, such a healthy girl
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I would say 'fact' but only in that introducing anything new to a horse's diet *could* have the potential to give them colic as you may upset the balance in the gut.

That said, there is no real reason (as far as I am aware) as to why bananas specifically give colic.
 
Pony is very healthy.
Flynn LOVES grapes and Titus will pick blackberries out of the hedge himself, only ripe ones though!!!
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I have a book called 'Out of the Kitchen, into the Stable'

Here's a little extract about bananas....

Bananas contain high levels of natural sugar which are easily absorbed into the blood stream, thus making them a very good source of energy. Being so rich an energy source bananas are very good for horses convalescing from such illnesses as pnuemonia. But be careful not to feed to many bananas as they may cause colic or constapation. Bananas are very good for muscle tone and for regulating the blood. For competition horses, give one banana approx 2 hrs before an event thus increasing performance

So in a word, yes bananas can cause colic but i think you would have to feed alot of them to do this. My girl loves them, and i must admit if she is flagging before a competition it seems to work a treat.
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I think over-ripe bananas might make them a bit gassy as they tend to ferment. If you feed monkeys overripe bananas, they get diarrhoea, apparently! Otherwise, they're a good source of potassium so good to feed if you're competing as they replace electrolytes.
 
I was always told that if you get cramp regularly its a magnesium deffiencey and banannas are a great supliament, i'm assuming the same principle works fro horses. On the colic thing, anything "a bit odd" fed in high quantity is going to give them colic!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a book called 'Out of the Kitchen, into the Stable'

Here's a little extract about bananas....

Bananas contain high levels of natural sugar which are easily absorbed into the blood stream, thus making them a very good source of energy. Being so rich an energy source bananas are very good for horses convalescing from such illnesses as pnuemonia. But be careful not to feed to many bananas as they may cause colic or constapation. Bananas are very good for muscle tone and for regulating the blood. For competition horses, give one banana approx 2 hrs before an event thus increasing performance

So in a word, yes bananas can cause colic but i think you would have to feed alot of them to do this. My girl loves them, and i must admit if she is flagging before a competition it seems to work a treat.
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[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds like a good book
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In some countries bananas are a pretty staple diet for horses as they lack more natural feedstuffs but have plenty of bananas. They don't have any particularly high incidence of colic.
 
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