Can Horses Eat Strawberries?

Horse breeders often add new fruits and vegetables in their horse feed for a change of taste or as a treat for obedience. Sometimes strawberries are fed as an encouragement for poor feeders, and it works.

We all like strawberry treats, but are they suitable for horses too? There is no rule of thumb for fruits that says every full of nutrients and delicious fruit is good for horses. Several fruits are good for humans but not for horses. This is what led me to research about strawberries and their impacts on horse health. Fortunately, strawberries are healthy, but they can cause problems in some cases.

Can horses eat strawberries? Yes, strawberries are safe for horses to eat. In fact, strawberries are one of the most favorite treats of horses. But strawberries shout never be fed more than 1-2 pieces at a time and that too, adequately washed and cut. Even strawberries can pose severe threats to a horse if fed improperly.

Contents show

Strawberries Are Healthy For Horses

Strawberries are rich in nutrients; they carry almost 59mg of vitamin-C per 100g serving. Vitamin-C keeps the vision and skin healthy. Horses develop minor wrinkles as they age, but vitamin-C keeps their skin young. Furthermore, vitamin-C boosts the immune system and fights off many diseases.

Apart from vitamin-C, strawberries contain vitamin-B9, manganese, Potassium, and traces of vitamin-B6, vitamin-K, vitamin-E, iron, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus. As each of these vitamins and minerals is essential for proper nutrition, strawberries are overall healthy for horses.

Besides the nutritional benefits of strawberry, horses love strawberries as they are sweet and juicy. Adding 1-2 few strawberries to your horse’s treat will definitely make him happy.

Over Consuming is Harmful

Strawberries have many benefits, but they can be unhealthy if fed more than necessary.

Excessive feeding can cause colic and exhaustion. The digestive system of horses is designed to eat small treats after short intervals.

There are certain fruits like strawberries that horses love and always want more, but for their own good, it is necessary not to feed a lot. Veterinarians and horse breeders recommend feeding a maximum of 1-2 strawberries a day.

Apart from strawberries too, horses shouldn’t be fed anything a lot if it is not part of their usual diet. Their digestive system is not designed to accept and process unusual diets easily. Furthermore, feeding too much of fruits, such as strawberries, can create a bacterial imbalance in their digestive tract, leading to intestinal malfunctioning.

It is essential to cut strawberries to avoid choking. Most of the horses usually chew fruits before they swallow, but some horses gulp fruits without chewing, leading to choking.

It is recommended to cut strawberries and other eatables before feeding. Furthermore, some fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides and carry chemicals on their outer surface. It is necessary to remove these pesticides and chemicals before feeding as they are not suitable for health. For safety, all fruits and vegetables, including strawberries, must be washed before feeding.

Strawberries Nutritional Facts

Strawberiries have rich nutritional value and good to feed in the recommended quantity. Carbohydrates and sugar contents are the main components of strawberries.