What Do Horses Eat?

equine diet. A horse eating pasture grass probably wont drink as much water as one on a hayonly diet. However fresh clean water is essential for both.
What Cant Horses Eat?
In addition to making sure your horse has access to a varied diet that provides the nutrients they need its important to be aware of the foods horses shouldnt eat. Those include
Bran Brans including wheat and rice bran are not recommended as a major part of your horses diet as they can cause mineral imbalances 3
Meat Your horse might gladly eat some meat but it shouldnt be a part of their diet. Horses are herbivores whose digestive tracts are designed to break down plants so feeding them meat may negatively impact their health.
Excess fruit Too much fruit can cause colic or other complications 4
Cruciferous vegetables These veggies including cauliflower broccoli Brussels sprouts and more can lead to gas and discomfort.
Dairy Horses are lactose intolerant and shouldnt be fed dairy products like cheese yogurt and milk.
Lawn and garden clippings Keep these clippings away from your horse as some weeds can be poisonous and the clippings could be contaminated with toxic pesticides.
Avocados Avocados contain persin which is toxic to horses. The avocado tree and its fruit can make horses very ill with symptoms that include edema colic neurologic dysfunction and irregular heartbeat.
How Much Do Horses Eat?
Several factors such as size and activity level can influence how much a horse will eat. Generally horses can consume up to 3 of their body weight in hay daily but the total amount will also depend on what else theyre eating throughout the day