Horses, just like every animal on this earth and all humans too, love treats. Plainly put, horses love APPLES! There are many different kinds of apples that you can give your horse. Along with many different ways to prepare apples for your horse to have as a treat. We will discuss how to feed a horse an apple as well as when not to feed them, overfeeding and a reminder about treats in moderation.
Can you feed a horse an apple?
For the most part, the answer is yes! Most horses can have apples in moderation, and it is best to prepare them in a way that benefits your horse the most.
There are many different flavors of apples, anywhere from tart to extremely sweet. You will need to try different ones (not all on the same day) to figure out which ones your horse likes better.
There are risks that come with feeding apples to horses and the information given to you in this article it will help you to decide if apples will be a great treat for your horse or if the horse shouldn’t have apples at all.
How to feed a horse an apple
Hold your hand out flat with the apple in your palm, fingers outstretched and together under the horse’s nose. Keeping your hand flat and your thumb and fingers out of the way makes it’s less likely for the horse to mistake your fingers for the treat! Your horse will sniff and feel around with their lips to find the apple before munching it up. Alternately – and even safer for your fingers – put the treat in a bucket or other container, and offer it that way.
Are apples healthy for horses?
Yes, in general, apples are very healthy for a horse and as a general rule, horses love them.
An apple has fiber, vitamin C, and potassium in them along with antioxidants. Antioxidants will destroy damaged molecules that may be in the body. These damaged molecules cause inflammation and many other problems.
How many apples should you feed your horse?
Apples are a horse’s favorite treat and yes they are healthy for your horse. But what you need to remember is that too much of a healthy thing can become unhealthy.
So, how much of this treat should you feed to your horse? The answer to that is simple, no more than two a day. That is more than enough for your horse. Any more than this can cause your horse to develop digestive problems.
Do not start them off on two apples a day. The first few days feed your horse only a few slices of an apple. Keep an eye on your horse throughout the day. If during those few days the horse is fine, then it should be safe to give more.
What types of apples can a horse eat?
Of course, fresh apples are the best way to go for your horse and there are many different types that your horse can eat.
Below are the ten best apples to feed your horse.
- Cortland Apples
- Gala Apples
- Pink Lady Apples
- Fuji Apples
- Golden Delicious Apples
- Red Delicious Apples
- Suncrisp Apples
- Honeycrisp Apples
- McIntosh Apples
- Granny Smith Apples
It doesn’t matter the color of the apple because a horse can pretty much eat an apple of any color. Especially cooking apples. Although your horse may love apples that have been cooked, they prefer raw apples.
Can there be problems with feeding apples to a horse?
Yes, there can be problems with feeding apples to your horse. Although for the most part apples are healthy and safe, problems can arise.
Overfeeding
One of the biggest problems with feeding apples to a horse is that a horse enjoys them so much that owners tend to overfeed them. If you feed your horse too many apples it will cause digestive issues and an upset stomach for your horse that can be so severe it may need to be taken to a vet.
Because of this, do not feed your horse more than one or two apples a day. A healthy horse is a happy horse. I would suggest slicing up one apple, feeding your horse half of it in the morning and the other half later in the afternoon.
Horses With Dental Issues
If your horse has dental problems, be careful feeding him apples because he may have a problem chewing them. If this is true for your horse, peel the apple, cut it up, then mash it as best you can. If your horse still has trouble chewing the apple then cook it until it is tender then run them through a blender.
Horses With Metabolic Issues
There are horses who suffer from things like Cushing’s Disease and problems like Insulin Resistance. These are metabolic problems. Apples have sugar in them so if your horse is one of the unlucky ones that suffer from any of these, you should not feed the horse apples. There are other treats that would be healthier for the horse.
Horses With Hyperkalemic Period Paralysis
This is a disease that makes it to where your horse can not have potassium. The potassium will seep out of the horse’s muscles which will cause extreme problems. Since apples have potassium, do not feed them to your horse if it suffers from HYPP.
Should I peel an apple when feeding them to a horse?
You do not need to peel the apples before feeding them to your horse. Horses actually love apples peelings. The peelings have extra fiber which helps the horse’s digestive system. However, do make a point of rinsing the apple off to rid it of any pesticides.
If you have your own apple tree that you know hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides then feel free to feed your horse an apple picked right off of the tree.
Should I cut up apples before feeding them to a horse?
If the apples are small, the entire apple can fit into the horse’s mouth so there is no need to cut it up. Most horses enjoy whole apples.
If your horse is a fast eater, you may want to cut the apple up to keep it from getting stuck in your horse’s throat.
Cutting up the apple also makes your horse believe it is getting more than just one treat.
But, if you are having a hard time deciding to feed the apple whole or cut it up, keep in mind that if your horse gets the apple lodged in its throat and starts to choke, the choking can cause your horse to develop pneumonia which would make for a very expensive vet bill.
Other ways to feed a horse apples
There are various ways to feed your horse apples other than just slicing them up. Below are just a few of the different ways.
- Bake them
- Mix them with bran mash
- Frozen lick treat – Use a medium-size bucket and fill it with water, slice apples and drop them in the water then freeze. When it’s hot outside, put the bucket out for your horse to enjoy.
- Apple oatmeal – Do NOT add extra sugar, the sugar in the apples is enough.
Treats your horse can have
- Carrots
- Hay cubes
- Bananas
- Treats made specifically for horses
- Sugar cubes (every now and then only)
Treats you shouldn’t feed your horse
- Lawn clippings
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Chocolate
- Unpitted fruits
- Fresh bread
- Donuts
- Sweet feed
Conclusion
There are two main things that you need to remember.
- Make sure that your horse has no illness where eating apples would cause them harm.
- Moderation always!