Can horses eat kudzu?

Would be good, wouldn't it. Actually, yes, horses will eat kudzu. They aren't as keen on it as goats are, though. And, of course, kudzu is pretty invasive, so nobody in the US is going to be growing it for hay. But if it's in the pasture, they'll eat it.

Can horses eat garlic?

Garlic is something to think about carefully. It's actually good for horses in moderate amounts - too much garlic can cause anemia (they recommend half an ounce to two ounces a day). It can act as a natural fly repellent and can boost appetite. You can buy garlic supplements, but some people think you should just give the horse fresh crushed garlic. Obviously, some horses don't like the taste.

Can horses eat peanut butter?

Yes - in small quantities. Commercial peanut butter has a lot of sugar in it as well as rich proteins and fats, so it's not good for ponies who tend to get fat. Horses are generally not allergic to peanuts.

Also, unlike dogs or cats, horses have no problem with xylitol, an artificial sweetener often found in reduced sugar peanut butter. Make sure you don't give it to dogs, though!

Do horses prefer apples or carrots?

Ha. Trick question.

It...depends on the horse. I've known horses who if offered an apple or a carrot will pick the carrot every time and I recently discovered a horse I know won't eat carrots at all.

Most horses probably like them about the same, but some have distinct preferences.

Can horses eat granola bars?

They eat grain, after all.

Horses can eat granola bars, although some don't like them. Others will do anything for one, or at least for a bit of one. It wouldn't be a good idea to give them too many, though - lots of calories. Also, they should be broken up - horses don't do well if they eat too quickly and swallow something that size whole.

Can horses eat honey?

Absolutely. In fact, a lot of commercial horse treats are sweetened with honey. Some upper level endurance riders think feeding a bit of honey before the race helps the horses with their endurance - this may not be true, but it's certainly safe (as long as you don't overdo it, of course).

How do horses get enough protein?

We tend to think of protein as coming from animal products - or, say, soy or legumes. Horses eat grass and vegetables - so how do they get enough protein?

The answer is: From the grass. Because horses are designed to digest grass, they get all the nutrients out of it, and grass contains a surprising amount of protein. Domestic horses get the extra protein they need to be athletes from alfalfa hay (which is a legume) and grain. Grass hay can be as much as 17% protein and alfalfa hay, fed to high performers, can go up to 22%.

Do horses like bananas?

Horses will eat bananas - and bananas are good for them too (horses need potassium as much as we do). Unlike us, though, horses don't peel their bananas - horses will, and should, eat the skin too.

Do horses like potatoes?

Actually, potatoes aren't a good thing to feed horses. Green and raw potatoes are poisonous (The toxin, solanine, is destroyed by cooking, at least in the tuber part). Potatoes are also likely to get stuck causing choke. Finally, potatoes are too starchy for horses - they can make them fat.

Solanine poisoning can cause excitability, decreased heart rate and respiration, gastric problems, convulsions, muscle weakness and coordination difficulties. So, no potatoes. Especially not uncooked.

Do horses like pumpkins?

Yes - albeit as an occasional treat and with the seeds removed. So, come Halloween... (Horses actually like most kinds of squash).

Can horses eat wood?

Certainly, quite a few of them think they can. Chewing wood is a problem and I've encountered horses and mules who will eat bare twigs. It doesn't really do them a lot of harm...or a lot of good either, as even they can't really digest it.

Why are not all horses kept on straw bedding?

If you read anything about horses, they'll talk about using straw for bedding - and often say it's the best. Why doesn't everyone use it?

The answer is because while most horses find straw unpalatable, some will cheerfully chow down on it. And they're always the ones you're trying to keep from getting fat. Always.

Why do horses like sweet things?

Horses have a sweet tooth - but why? It's because the freshest grass with the highest nutritional value is also the sweetest.

(Needless to say, horses should not get too many sweets).

Do horses like watermelon?

It's hot - and I want some watermelon. Horses, as it happens, also quite like watermelon (and aren't bothered by the seeds). In fact, given their dentition and digestion, horses will eat and enjoy the rind. So...time to share!

Do horses eat birds?

Very rarely. Horses cannot digest meat, but very occasionally horses killing and eating small birds or mammals has been recorded. Some people believe that this may indicate a salt deficiency. (Horses can also get some nutrition from some forms of animal protein, with eggs being traditionally fed to racehorses and, apparently, Icelanders feeding fish meal.

Horses also may playfully (or accidentally) kill small animals, but they generally do not eat them.

Can horses eat apple cores?

Yup. In fact, they like them. It's perfectly fine to eat an apple and give the horse the core. Although apple seeds are toxic, the amount that would be needed to hurt an animal the size of a horse is huge. Also, the seeds tend to be passed intact.

Some people do say that apple cores can get stuck and cause choke, but I've never seen it. Horses will also eat and enjoy crabapples (which are generally too bitter for humans to handle without adding sugar).

What is the best Halloween treat for a horse?

Because it's Halloween...and you might just have difficulty resisting sharing with a horse.

You can feed some candy to horses. Hard candy is good, soft chewy candy that sticks to their teeth is not good (horses can get cavities). Their favorite flavor is generally (but not always) peppermint.

They should not be fed chocolate - they cannot metabolize theobromine - a tiny bit probably wouldn't hurt (theobromine also causes false positives on drug tests for show horses) - but a lot could certainly be poisonous for them.

However, the very best Halloween treat for a horse is...fresh pumpkin. Horses like pumpkins (I mean the standard orange ones here) and will eat the rind and seeds. (However, they should not be fed used jack o'lanterns because candle wax won't do them any good). Hanging a dessert or pie pumpkin from the stall roof is a great fall toy for a horse.

And, here's a Halloween costume - me as Ellen Ripley and Uptown Funk as the USS Sulaco.

Why do horses sometimes eat dirt?

If you see a horse eating dirt or soil - the horse is actually trying to supplement with minerals in the soil. Tests have been done that even indicate horses will go for areas of soil with higher levels of iron and copper.

In fact, eating soil is perfectly natural and normal for horses, although if they do it a lot it can make them sick.

Making sure horses get plenty of fibre and access to a salt and mineral lick keeps dirt eating down to manageable levels. Wild horses will also lick rocks to get minerals.

Should horses eat clover?

We tend to have an image of clover being a good plant. The picture of a cow or a horse up to their ankles in clover is common.

However, clover can often be too rich for horses, and should generally not be fed to ponies, especially in the spring. Clover just has a lot of sugar in it. Because of this a lot of people in the UK (where most people ride ponies) remove clover or fence horses away from it in the spring.

In the US and Canada, red and alsike clover are associated with poisonings, but it's not the clover itself that's toxic - it's mold that grows on it. Mowing can remove the mold. Red clover poisoning is mild - it just makes the horse slobber. Alsike clover poisoning can cause all kinds of problems, including liver problems. Oh, and both can, uh, give them diarrhea.

So, clover is not great for horses, but if it's mold free it's fine (and they like it) in moderation.

Can horses eat eggs?

Oddly enough, given they're herbivores, eggs are a traditional horse feed, most often given in the racing industry. Some commercial protein supplements also contain egg whites.

There are no reported ill effects from feeding horses eggs (some people say you should cook them first, but the tradition is to feed them raw - I wouldn't recommend that with commercial eggs, though, salmonella and all). They're most often fed to young horses that need extra protein, but are also supposed to be very good for the horse's coat. It's now become a somewhat controversial practice, but is still quite common in some places. If you're writing about racehorses in a time period other than very recently, an egg a day would be normal and it would be very strange not to do it.