How bad are potatoes?

Tr0uble

Tr0uble

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I've never fed potatoes to my horses....in my head I think they're not a good thing to feed to them...but today I found raw potatoes in Rhythm's stable (he generally doesn't eat veg,only just got him understanding carrots!)

I also found parsnips in Snips stable....everyone at the yard knows not to feed anything to Snip because of his issues....the yo's daughter has just text to say she's found potatoes in her horses stable too! (she literally text as I was writing this!)

So, how bad are potatoes, to normal horses? And am I right to be worried about the starch affecting Snips tying up? (and my insurance for tying up just reached its 12 months so I'm no longer insured for that!)
 
I have no idea. I've always thought raw potatoes are poisonous to humans & animals. My mare hates parsnips. Apples & carrots are the only fruit & veg she likes!
 
What would we do without google :D

Feeding fruits and vegetables to horses can encourage poor feeders, add some variety to a horse's diet and act as a low fat treat to reward good behaviour. Fruits and vegetables should be clean and cut into strips rather than round pieces that can become lodged in the throat. Mouldy or rotten fruit or vegetables should be avoided.
Each horse will have different tastes and not all will like the same fruits or vegetables although most horses relish carrots and apples.

Vegetables safe to feed horses include:

Beetroot
Carrot
Celery
Parsnip
Swede
Turnip
Vegetables that are not safe to feed horses include:

Onions
Potatoes
Fruits safe to feed horses include:

Apple
Banana (including the peel)
Grapefruit
Orange
Pear
Fruits that are not safe to feed horses include:

Rhubarb
Tomato
If there is any doubt as to whether a particular fruit or vegetable is safe to feed horses then it is best to leave it out.
 
Hi, I feed parsnips in reasonable quantities to all of mine no problem. As for potatoes they are posionous but I would imagine that your horse would need to have eaten quite a few to affect it.
I found raw potatoes in our paddock before - clearly a well meaning neighbout had fed them - none of ours became ill.
Sorry can't be of more help - ring your vet and get their advice.
 
I don't think there would have been enough to harm a normal horse (poisonous wise) I'm more concerned because I have an azoturia sufferer so have to cut out starches.

Am furious though....we now know it was none of the liveries, didn't think it was as they all know snips issues and never would feed him anything without asking me, but we have some workshop units on site...assume it was one of the guys from there.
 
I feed boiled potatoes/peelings and mine love them.
I only don't give them raw becase I heard you shouldn't
and don't want to risk it.
However, I had a veg plot on a farm we lived on, in a corner
of a field used by cows and horses, my plot was regularly raided
by both species and crops pulled up,including the potatoes and chewed.
 
To be honest, I doubt they would eat them. They are unappealing and some pigs (the only animal as far as I know that can safely eat them raw) turn their noses up at them, and thats saying something.
 
When I was a kid, my Gran used to feed potatoes to her pony every day. She spent ages cutting them up carefully, clearly oblivious to any harm they could do (as was I) I was shocked when I started to go the the local stables and was told that they were harmful. The pony in question, however, lived into her 30s on a daily diet of potatoes- they never caused her any problems!
 
tasteofchaos said:
To be honest, I doubt they would eat them. They are unappealing and some pigs (the only animal as far as I know that can safely eat them raw) turn their noses up at them, and thats saying something.
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It's quite common to feed raw potatoes to cattle, too. I have tried and found that they don't like them very much, though.
 
The Irsh used to feed boiled potatoes to their horses to keep weight on and possibly still do. I have fed boiled potato to horses here with no ill effects we just rubbed it into the rest of the feed and it did help to keep the condition on.
 
When Cuffey came from Ireland the only veg/fruit he would touch was potatoes and he still likes potato peelings (no green bits)
Soon learned carrots and apples also nice!
 
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