Potatoes and other nightshade veggies contain solanine, which is toxic to horses. While cooking eliminates most of this toxin, traces may remain. Potato chips and processed potatoes also often have additional chemicals and salt which may harm horses.
Horses suffering from poisoning may display symptoms of excitation, depression, low heart rate, suffocation or even death. Early symptoms are excessive drooling and abdominal swelling.
Potatoes are a member of the nightshade family
Potatoes belong to the nightshade family of plants and, like their siblings, are highly toxic for horses. Solanine in these vegetables affects their autonomic nervous systems and may lead to digestive distress and atropine toxicity as well as cardiac arrest in more extreme cases. Most horses will not be adversely affected by eating potatoes; however it’s still wise to limit exposure as even small quantities can pose health concerns.
Though most people understand that cooking potatoes reduces solanine content, many are unaware of its harmful effects on horses when fed raw potatoes. As a result, it is essential to refrain from feeding your horse any form of potato (including chips and gnocchi), including skins with higher solanine concentrations than flesh of potato; also avoid feeding potato-based treats as these often contain chemicals and salt that could upset his/her digestive tract.
Horses generally dislike nightshade-rich foods, and will likely only consume small bites before moving on to other sources of nutrition. Some horses, however, may find the taste of specific items more desirable; such as potatoes or their relatives like tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Eating too many of these can cause digestive upset as well as atropine poisoning in horses.
Even though these foods have low nutritive value, they can still provide benefits to horses when fed in moderation. Sweet potatoes provide essential vitamins A, C and E and help heal gastric ulcers; however, any food from the nightshade family that isn’t part of your regular diet should not be fed to your horse.
Though horses are durable animals, it is still wise to limit what they eat as anything that might cause serious illness or even death can have severe repercussions for them. Therefore, horse owners should inspect their horses’ feeding areas regularly and remove any plants or weeds which might irritate their digestion as well as ensure fresh, high-quality foods are fed regularly to their horses.
They are a starchy vegetable
Potatoes are an integral part of everyday diets around the world. From fries and chips, to tater tots, latkes, and gnocchi; potatoes have become part of daily meals in many households around the globe. Unfortunately, though nutritious for humans, potatoes aren’t safe as raw feed for horses due to solanine presence – an alkaloid which contains solanine which is toxic and highly harmful to horses’ health.
Although cooking potatoes helps break down solanine, this is no guarantee. Horses should avoid all forms of potatoes (including their skins ) due to a higher concentration of solanine that does not break down with heat; additionally, salt and added chemicals found in them may aggravate their digestive systems and create further health risks for horses.
When horses consume large quantities of potatoes, it can lead to serious digestive issues and even lead to death due to high amounts of solanine in its system. Therefore, it’s vitally important that guards be placed near fields or areas where horses roam to help prevent them from eating any wild nightshade plants that could pose such risks.
Small amounts of potatoes should not pose any significant health concerns to horses; however, eating large quantities could result in poisoning due to absorption by the digestive tract and absorption of its toxins, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and colic that vary in intensity.
Though most people understand the risks associated with eating raw potatoes, few realize a horse could also become severely poisoned by doing the same. Potato or nightshade poisoning, as it’s commonly known, is known to be particularly hazardous and can result in severe symptoms that are difficult to identify as they often mimic other conditions. Contacting your veterinarian early will make diagnosis and administration of treatment much simpler – usually doses of neostigmine and activated charcoal may be administered as treatment options.
Considerations should also be given to how potatoes can cause fattening for horses. As they contain high levels of carbohydrates that could easily lead to obesity, as horses do not evolve eating these types of carb-rich foods it would be best if these could be reduced as much as possible.
They contain solanine
Potatoes, along with many vegetables and fruits, contain solanine. This toxic chemical can be fatal for horses ingesting large quantities, leading to vomiting, stomach cramps, tremors and respiratory problems – potentially even leading to death in extreme cases.
The nightshade family includes plants like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes which are all considered toxic to horses and can lead to serious illness or even death. While some horse owners claim that bounties from their summer garden are safe for horses’ consumption, others have reported seeing devastating health problems after feeding these plants to their horse.
Your horse should avoid all types of potatoes, as raw ones can be deadly to their health if consumed raw or even when cooked; cooked potatoes may still pose risks, however. Potatoes are extremely starchy, which may contribute to obesity issues in horses as well as be dangerous choking hazards if too many are consumed at once.
Although cooking potatoes reduces much of the solanine content, this does not completely remove it. When horses eat raw potatoes they absorb solanine and other chemicals from the plant which may lead to problems including tremors, breathing difficulties, and loss of coordination.
Humans can effectively expel toxic substances by vomiting. Unfortunately, horses do not possess this capability and will absorb all of its poison through their digestive systems, leading to serious consequences such as heart failure or liver damage.
Not all foods containing potatoes are bad for horses; carrots can make healthy treats in moderation. Carrots and sweet potatoes contain minimal calories while providing essential nutrition, including fiber which can contribute to a balanced diet. Be wary, though, of snacks such as potato chips as these contain excessive fat and salt content which could contribute to weight gain; thus not recommended as daily snacks for horses.
They are toxic
Although potatoes are non-toxic to horses in small doses, consuming too many of them at one time may pose serious problems. As they contain solanine which is toxic for horses, eating large quantities could result in colic, vomiting and diarrhea as well as long-term health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease if fed regularly. It is therefore best to limit or avoid feeding potatoes to your horse altogether.
Boiled potatoes can be less dangerous for horses due to the heat’s breaking down of solanine and solidifying starch, yet should still only be fed in limited amounts as their high carb content could easily lead to weight gain and sodium intake – not good for horse health! When offering your horse cooked potatoes as treats it is important to monitor both their behavior and body condition closely if feeding any cooked potatoes at all; any signs of lethargy could indicate they have consumed too many and should be brought immediately for evaluation by a vet.
Even though potatoes don’t contain solanine in their cooked form, they still contain trace amounts that are harmful to horses due to being part of the nightshade family. A human would likely vomit up any solanine they swallowed to reduce its effects, while horses do not possess this capability and can suffer serious symptoms if exposed to raw potatoes such as stomach ulcers, choking or colic after indulging.
Your horse should stay away from plants known to be toxic to them, particularly from nightshade plants such as nightshades. Poisoning from nightshades has the potential to disrupt autonomic nervous system function severely and even lead to fatality; toxicosis has even resulted in competition horses failing drug tests! Therefore, it is vital that you inspect their favorite areas for plants or weeds they should avoid; becoming familiar with symptoms will enable you to recognize any changes immediately in their health status.