Although horses have been known to eat a wide range of unusual items, dog food should never be fed to them due to being tailored specifically towards canines rather than meeting their nutritional requirements.
Horses cannot receive adequate nutrition from dog food and may experience health complications if they ingest too much of it, including digestive issues and possible diseases such as Lyme disease.
Horses are Herbivores
Horses are herbivores, meaning that they consume plant matter instead of meat for sustenance. Their digestive systems have evolved specifically to handle grass and hay-rich diets.
If they were to suddenly increase their consumption of meat, this could cause serious health complications. Their bodies would quickly be overburdened with nutrients they don’t need and cause colic as their bodies tried to process and flush away excess nutrients quickly enough.
Though horses should only eat plant-based foods, such as carrots, bananas, apples, peppermint, watermelons rinds and squash as treats on occasion. Bread, pasta, potato chips and sweets should be avoided to keep their horses happy.
Horses are Carnivores
Horses are natural herbivores and do not consume meat in the wild. While in captivity, horses typically rely on eating hay or grass for nutrition; their digestive systems have evolved specifically to process plant material; furthermore, their stomachs and intestines tend to be longer than that of carnivores.
As horses cannot digest meat-based food, including dog food, it is impossible for them to properly break down and absorb its high fat content which may pose potential health risks for themselves and the animal.
Misconceptions about horse slaughter suggest they are used only for dog food; this isn’t necessarily true, though. Instead, unwanted horses from the United States are sometimes sent down south where they’ll be slaughtered and processed into pet food or other products for slaughtering purposes. Horses may also be used for racing and performance work that requires speed and agility – this makes a horse very useful as an asset in certain disciplines such as dressage.
Horses are Vegetarian
Horses differ significantly from dogs when it comes to diet; their digestive systems have two stomach compartments designed specifically for processing fibrous plant material. While horses may consume small amounts of animal matter when grazing, this does not form part of their daily dietary requirements.
Horses often eat items not intended as food out of boredom or curiosity. Unfortunately, many of these non-nutritional treats contain minimal nutritional value and could potentially lead to digestive issues in horses.
Horses should not consume even small quantities of dog food as this could contain ingredients not suitable to their dietary requirements. Some dog foods contain toxic apple seeds which produce hydrogen cyanide in large doses that is lethal to horses. Furthermore, many types of dog food contain large quantities of fats which could cause weight gain or health complications in horses.
Horses are Carbohydrate Lovers
Horses cannot meet their energy requirements from diets containing high levels of carbohydrates like those found in dog food, like those typically found in their feed. Instead, horses require a diet consisting of high-quality roughage such as hay or grass combined with grain concentrates which provide protein.
Non-structural carbs (NSCs) refers to portions of plant cell walls that do not provide structural support and are digested by foregut bacteria into glucose for consumption by horses. Elevated levels of NSCs can lead to health issues as they require increased amounts of insulin in order to regulate glucose flow into and out of cells.
NSCs may also acidify the hindgut, leading to colic, pasture associated laminitis or other complications in horses. Even if no symptoms appear to exist for any individual horse, regular monitoring and providing plenty of water should still be observed closely.
Horses are Protein Lovers
Horses require a diet rich in protein, carbohydrates and other non-meat treats like apples, carrots, candies and other non-meat items as food sources. Therefore, horse food should always be given in moderation with treats such as apples, carrots, candies or similar items given as rewards for good behavior.
Horse owners frequently wonder whether their horses can snack on dog food. While this is technically permissible, doing so could result in gas, stomachache and loose stools due to its high grain and fiber content that alters their hindgut’s pH balance.
Horse foods are designed specifically for their nutritional requirements; feeding dog food will not provide your horse with all the essential vitamins and minerals they need for health and fitness. Therefore, try only giving your horse grass and hay, measuring out its feed by weight rather than scoops or guesswork.
Horses are Fibre Lovers
Horses love eating fibrous forage such as hay or other sources of forage. Their digestive systems have evolved over time to break down fiber slowly, which provides energy.
While horses have been known to consume some human foods such as bread, cakes and sweets in moderation, such as bread can lead to blockages in their digestive tract and chocolate and coffee contain caffeine that could compromise long-term performance of horses.
However, certain fruits and vegetables may be okay for them to consume such as apples, bananas, carrots (in small amounts), green beans, lettuce and pumpkin seeds. They may even enjoy unique snacks like rhubarb stems, avocado leaves and wilted red maple leaves in small doses to prevent choking hazards.
Horses are Grain Lovers
Horses thrive on a diet consisting of grass and hay, but also enjoy nibbling on treats like carrots, compressed hay pellets and apples in small amounts – this does not harm their health in any way.
Carbs provide energy for horses, but too much carb intake may lead to issues like gas and diarrhea. Dog food contains many carbohydrates which may upset their digestive systems.
Horses may enjoy eating other exotic treats like celery or peanut butter as treats. Just ensure to watch for any signs of digestive discomfort, such as dropping their mouthful of food (called quidding). If they start throwing up or having diarrhea, contact a veterinarian immediately as this could indicate colic or be an allergy reaction to a new treat.
Horses are Salt Lovers
As treats go, horse food should never be fed to dogs – its consumption does not fit their diet and could actually harm them in the long term. Dog diets contain carbohydrates which are harmful for horses as they often contain animal by-products and animal digest. Plus potatoes contain toxic elements which could prove fatal for their wellbeing!
Many horse owners top-dress their feed with herbs and other unsuitable ingredients that may upset a horse’s digestive system. Furthermore, mineral blocks don’t provide all the trace minerals a healthy horse needs for optimal health – mined mineral rocks may provide better options as they satisfy both taste and licking frequency with natural, balanced trace mineral balances that come naturally packaged as rocks.
Horses are Sugar Lovers
Sugar should only ever be fed to horses as an occasional treat and in small doses only. Some horses have been known to enjoy eating hot dogs and hamburgers as treats as well as processed food products like this, however this could lead to weight gain, digestive issues or nutritional deficiency diseases if consumed regularly.
Carrots are an excellent treat for horses as they’re sweet without being high in sugar content, while strawberries, cherries without pits and shelled peanuts also work as rewards and treats. Watermelons may also be eaten safely provided it is cut into small enough pieces to prevent choking. Sugar cubes are another popular choice as they don’t cost much and store easily in a tack trunk; moreover they last longer than carrots before crumbling easily, making them great choices as a reward.
Horses are Fat Lovers
Horses love fat as it provides double the energy per gram compared to carbohydrates or proteins, helping regulate their mood by raising serotonin levels.
Dog food does not meet the dietary needs of horses as they require high-quality roughage such as hay and grass, along with grains and protein concentrates for protein supplementation. Low-cost dog foods often use meat that’s unsuitable for them as well as unspecific ingredients like “animal digest”, which could potentially poison their digestive tract, as well as toxic potatoes which could even prove fatal for them in large doses.
Equestrian horses’ digestive systems have evolved over time to digest small, frequent meals at regular intervals; feeding a horse a large bag of dog food that must be digested all at once can cause major stomach and intestinal distress, with results ranging from mild discomfort to life-threatening illness.