Like people, horses really love getting treats. If you are a horse owner, you can choose between a variety of treats to offer your horse, but can horses eat grapes as a treat? I often wonder about different tasty treats being safe for the horse and as a responsible horse owner, you probably do the same. Grapes are excellent for people and quite popular too. Grapes pose a threat due to the possibility of choking for small animals like dogs and cats. But what about horses?
Can Horses Eat Grapes and the Seeds?
The good news is that horses love grapes and are safe for them as treats. Due to their sweet taste, grapes are popular with horses. Although most fruits with seeds are dangerous for horses, such as cherries and peaches, the seeds of grapes are not harmful for horses. You can of course remove the seeds if you wish to or offer the unseeded variety.
Offer Only a Suitable Quantity per Day
Grapes can be given to a horse as a treat; however, you must remember that giving too many sweet treats is likely to be harmful for your pet. Too many treats can ruin your horse’s appetite for the healthy foods that you may be offering him. Abundant amounts of treats may provide additional calories that may add up unnecessary pounds. If your horse is insulin resistant, too many treats are likely to cause severe health issues.
One Serving Size
How many grapes are too many? To ensure your horse’s health, offer only a limited quantity of grapes in a day. A suitable amount may be one pound of less than a pound a day. Equine nutritionists consider ten grapes to be a suitable serving size to be given to your horse in a day. If your horse is insulin resistant, you should consult your veterinarian before offering any sweet treats, such as grapes.
Choose Healthy Treats for Your Horse
Grapes and other fruits are a better option to be offered to your horse as treats in comparison to commercially made horse treats that you may buy at the pet store. You must always choose health and fresh foods to use as snacks and treats for your horse for long-term health benefits.
Carry a Few Grapes Around in Your Pocket
As there is no evidence to prove that grapes may cause any harm to horses if given in a suitable quantity, you can use them while brushing your horse or while spending time with him. You can also use them as rewards while training your horse to reinforce the milestones achieved and to encourage your horse. A few grapes can fit into your pocket very easily because of the small size.
Frozen Grapes
Although you may not like them frozen, your horse would absolutely love crunchy frozen grapes. Pluck the grapes off the branch and place them in a tray in the freezer. Once frozen, you can store them safely in a zip lock bag. Of course, the frozen grapes should only be used as treats during the summer.
Wash All Fruits Properly
It is extremely important that you wash the grapes or any other fruit that you are going to feed your horse very thoroughly with cold water. This is because the bacteria or pesticides found on the grapes can be removed. These can cause severe illnesses and even simple infections can result in complications later.
Should the Seeds be Removed?
Some horse owners like to be very cautious and may want to cut the grapes into half to take the seeds out. They also believe that halved grapes are easier for horses to swallow. But the truth is that grapes are very small and due to this, they do not cause a threat for horses even if they are not halved.
You Can Use Seedless Grapes
If you are still concerned about the wisdom of feeding your horse grapes along with seeds, you can choose the seedless varieties. They are available very easily and in the supermarket, they may be lying right next to the seeded grapes.
Use a Variety of Snacks
Even if your horse loves grapes and you can tell that they are his favorite treat, avoid the temptation to use them too frequently. Look for other fruits or healthy treats that your horse enjoys eating. It may be advisable to look for snacks that are lower in sugar content. This will help your horse to remain lean and active, as opposed to becoming heavier.
You should now know all there is to know about the suitability of grapes as treats or snacks for your horse. If someone now asks you, can horses eat grapes, you will surely know the answer, which is a ‘Yes!’
References:
http://www.canhorseseat.com/grapes/
http://whatcanhorseseat.com/can-horses-eat-grapes/
http://www.equinerecline.org/fruits.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Safe-Vegetables-and-Fruit-for-Horses
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