Last Updated on February 21, 2022 by Allison Price
Horses love apples. But can they eat bananas, pear, or other fruits? Yes! Yes! Horses can be fed different fruits from time to time, which gives them variety and various nutrients.
Safe Fruits
Bananas: Yes, horses can eat bananas. Bananas are a great source of potassium. Between competitions, some owners and riders of horses have been known to give bananas to their horses (with the peel on). Horses may also benefit from bananas being eaten, just like a tennis player or runner.
Pineapple – Remove the core and skin before you start to eat the pineapple. Cut the pineapple into rings. Turn the rings around and cut into quarters. Give your horse small pieces. Pineapples are a great source of vitamin A.
Oranges – Oranges are a great source of vitamin C. Peel the skin off an orange and cut it in half. To make eights, you will need to cut the orange twice more.
Coconut – Horses eat coconuts! Coconuts are rich in potassium, iron and magnesium. They are also high fat. Cut open a coconut and scoop out the pulp to feed it to horses. The flesh should be cut into small pieces. The husk of the coconut is not allowed to be fed to horses.
Cherries – Cherries are rich in vitamins A and C. Cut each cherry in half and remove the pit.
What about other fruits? You can feed your horse a variety of fruits in small amounts. Your horse can eat a variety of fruits, including blackberries, blueberries and mangoes.
Horses are not allowed to eat
These fruits are not safe to be eaten by horses: persimmons and rhubarb.
Feeding Fruits
A horse’s digestive system is sensitive. It is best to give fruits as treats, and only small quantities. Make sure you wash any fruits before giving them to your horse. Fruits should not be given to horses too often.
Too many can lead to a horse’s digestive system becoming irritated, which could cause colic and other serious conditions. Too many fruits, vegetables, and other treats can cause horses to gain unwanted weight.
Cut fruits in small, long pieces or in strips. Horses may choke if they are given large amounts of food. Horses cannot vomit or throw up. It is possible for food to get stuck in the horse’s stomach. Your veterinarian should be contacted immediately if the horse is not able to remove the food item by itself.
