Feeding bread to horses?

classic_astra

classic_astra

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does this do them any good? or harm? my mum insists on feeding her horses a few slices of bread everyday, even with their normal feed in the winter. it started when her horse lost a lot of weight the first year she bought him, and had advice from a local dealer to feed bread. he has looked great every year since so she carries it on.

im not too keen on mine having it, and she insists on giving them a slice each before she leaves, even though she knows i dont like her doing it!

any one have any idea if this has been proven to be good or bad for them?
 
I feed my mare bread most winters if she needs sometimes she gets a whole loaf in one day!!! But i normally soak it for a few hours then add it to her feed.
 
It's not so much bad for them, as it is more with how many calories it has in it compared to how much is nutritionally good for them I think?

For weight gain, it can be brilliant.

You wouldn't want to feed a huge lot of it to a horse not used to it...most horses that are used to it ahve a specific way of eating it - ie, a bit more slowly and really breaking it down!
 
I save the crusts for my horse and he has them as a treat. I have looked into it and to feed a small amount is totally fine to give a horse.
 
When Baileys brought out their first feed that was all it was - bread crumbs. We fed it for a trial and the horses didn't like it.

Bread is wheat and wheat is not the best grain for horses.
 
In places like Hungary, it's standard instead of horse feed according to a girl who lives there.

I spoke to my new girl at work, who is French and she says she feeds her horses bread daily, but it has to be very hard.

My fuss ass won't eat anything different. :confused:
 
i dont feed it to my lad but did feed it to my old mare but my lad is very greedy and the one and only time he had it he ate it that fast he got chock so never again
 
Jack will do damn near anything for a slice of bread and it hasn't killed him yet............

He'll come running at the sound of a rustling plastic bag - other people's horses are scared of them, mine sticks his mush in looking for bread!
 
Mum used to make melba toast in the bottom of the aga for the hunters, it went in there next to the barley saucepan. I'm sure the horses ate better than we did!
 
Don't get me started! Everyone seems to want to feed my horses bread here (France)! They will stroll onto the property, through gates and just feed them as if it's a petting zoo! I hate it, I think it's a choking hazard, my mini does not need the food and my cob will mob them for more.
 
At the riding school i learnt at in France all the kids would bring lumps of stale bread to give as treats to the horses after the lessons. I think bread is the French version of carrots or apple cores!
 
In France we used to pick up all the unsold baguette every day, pop it on the hay to go rock hard and then feed the next morning - I think if they are used to grain it doesn't make much difference.
 
I have been feeding bread to my (various) horses over the years with no problems at all. Never fresh bread though. I generally get a bag of bread from the bakery once a week (end of day unsold loaves and buns).

Generally I will feed the boi up to 6 buns or half a loaf per morning for his breakfast (with the grass we have he doesn't need the extra feed).

The lady in the paddock next door to me feeds her horse mouldy bread if she hasn't used it all before the mould gets it. I am far too fussy about my horses to feed mouldy anything!!
 
As others have said, we found in France they feed the day-old baguette to the horses with apparently no ill effects. I think it is probably ok if they are used to it! I didn't really feel happy doing it, however!
 
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