Is this dangerous?

Give him a carrot, it's cheaper, bigger, and you get to eat the chocolate. Horses and humans are (obviously) completely different, they do not think chocolate is a treat, they don't know what it is or care how it tastes.

My horse is partial to coffee, at least I think he is.... he managed to get his tongue into my OH's coffee cup and has plagued him everytime he's been up with one since :)
 
kaylouise67 said:
My horse is partial to coffee, at least I think he is.... he managed to get his tongue into my OH's coffee cup and has plagued him everytime he's been up with one since :)
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Er, caffeine is also relatively toxic to horses and other animals... better stick to decaf (or carrot juice)! ;)
 
I'd stick to treating carrots, swede, apples etc all in moderation though.

One of the girls on my yard wanted to give my horse a sugar cube as a Christmas present, she recieved a polite no thanks! Found it abit odd that she asked me why not, had to explain that he was crazy enough without it! :o She did sneek one to my friend's ex racer whom proceeded to spit it back out haha! :D

This thread reminds me of the first day I had my dog - she pinched a chip, dunked in my step dad's tea and wandered off. Pure genious! ;)
 
tend to stick with polo mints now but they got all sorts of crap when they lived at mums - digestive biscuits seemed popular! :)

Sure she'll be ok! :)
 
SuenRoux said:
"Horses have been witnessed eating and drinking almost everything, but just because they will doesn't mean they should.Chocolate is a mild stimulant to humans mainly mainly due to the presence of theobromine.It is much more potent for horses, and its use in horse racing is prohibited. In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to animals such as horses, dogs, parrots, small rodents, and cats (kittens especially) because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death."
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The quote is factually correct - but it misses out some important facts - in particular, the AMOUNT of chocolate needed to cause toxicity - and the type!

It varies with the type of chocolate. White chocolate contains so little cocoa (which is where the theobromine comes from) that a 20 pound dog would need to ingest at least 55 pounds of white chocolate to cause nervous system signs!! Obviously it would be sick on a lesser amount! Other sorts require a much smaller quantity - for the same dog, one pound of milk chocolate, 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, or 2 ounces of baking chocolate would be toxic.

I don't have comparative figures for horses - but the chances of anyone being generous enough with chocolate to cause toxicity in horses is pretty slim!
 
Horses arent meant to eat chocolate.
Not that we are but apart from making us fat and then killing us with heart failure it wont hurt.

As for most things in life use your common sense!

A little chocolate now and again wont hurt, but feeding alot and often will.
 
My horse like a bit of chocolate now and again, also found out she likes eating porridge off a spoon, drinks cups of tea out of the cup, loves cake and icing and marmite.. she doesn't like cheese or mince pies tho. :D A pony at work likes tea too! She also drinks most things possible out the cup, she opens her mouth and swallows as you hold the cup up :D

We don't do it all the time tho xD
 
The previous loaner of my first loan pony used to feed him McDonalds burgers as treats! He didn't die, or get ill. Doesn't mean i would ever do it though.

I have always given all sorts of odds and ends to horses, i like to give them variety in treats. Pretty much every kind of fruit, even a de-stoned peach (they didn't like it) and quite often bread, including raisin and cinnamon loaf. One of the horses i looked after loved sweet chilli sensations crisps (a single crisp crushed up) but he only ever had it about 4/5 times over 8 years. I only ever give them in small amounts though, just a taste. His xmas dinner consisted of the veg peelings (minus cabbage, sprouts and spuds) and a small amount of cinnamon porridge with some chaff. He loved it :)

I have never had the inclination to give them chocolate though. I guess in small enough quantities and infrequently most things are ok to feed. But my choccy is MINE and it's staying that way :p
 
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HEAD, DESK, THUMP!


How come people insist on treating animals like this, for heavens sake, treat horses (or any other animal, come to that), properly or get rid and leave them alone.
 
AndySpooner said:
HEAD, DESK, THUMP!


How come people insist on treating animals like this, for heavens sake, treat horses (or any other animal, come to that), properly or get rid and leave them alone.
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^^^ More or less what I said pages back. But what can you expect when even the major feed companies coat everything in bl00dy molasses?
 
Mine generally don't get fed any 'human' food.

However, the TB has been known to nick sandwiches / biscuits / cakes etc whenever he can and is also obsessed with fish pie. I keep the microwavable ones at the yard for when I'm there all day and he got loose and helped himself to one that was cooling on the side. He comes and stands over me everytime one is cooking now.

he also loves tea and will grab mine, the farriers etc if he gets the chance.

He has the attitude that if I'm eating then he should have some but as I generally don't give him tipbits at all I try not to eat if he's around.
 
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