Suitable Treats???

[MM&PP]

Just read and article from 'Rutgers Equine Science Centre' whom advise the following when treating horses.

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

Rice products (not raw rice)

Barley products

Corn products

Dairy products

Eggs

Fruit juices

Hot dogs, hamburgers, tuna fish, ham or even roastbeef sandwiches!

Most dog and cat foods



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 anemia)

Turnips

Radishes

Avocado (NOT skins or seeds)

Lathyrus spp. beans (India)

Sunflower seeds

Sugar candies such as jelly beans, gummy bears, peppermints, etc.

Some of this, (in particular the beef sandwiches) seemed very unlikely to be suitable to a horses gut, but apparently not?

Link is here: http://www.esc.rutgers.edu/publications/factsheets_nutrition/fs062.htm

Thoughts on some of the suggestions?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Why would you feed meat to a herbivore?

 

[Brightbay]

It's a bit out of context I read that article yesterday, and they preface the list with this statement:

Feeding practices around the world differ and horses in other countries are commonly fed things that average American horse owners would never consider offering to their horses. For example, European horses are routinely fed silage, horses in Saudi Arabia munch happily on dried fava beans, and Irish horses are offered a weekly pint of ale or stout! With the above digestive constraints and variation in mind, what is presented here is by no means an exhaustive list of non-traditional things that might be consumed by horses. It is a list of things that horses have been reported to eat by veterinarians and horse owners around the world. Those that might adversely affect the horse’s health, and therefore be avoided or at least limited, are so identified.

So they're not saying you should feed your horse any of these things, but that people have reported doing so without the horse being harmed as a result.

 

[Greylegs]

Been trying my pony on few different things this winter ( NOT meat products) just for a bit of variety. Tried some of these things with varying degrees of reaction - pony loves parsnips but won't eat broccoli for example. My old horse loved bananas and celery, so all for trying a few different things.

His absolute favourite treat is a mandarin orange or clementine, peeled and fed in sections! Yummy.... As well as extra strong mints, of course.

Just a thought .... If feeding beef products to cows caused mad cow disease, what effect would feeding Tesco burgers to horses have? Mad horse disease perhaps!!!