You might find yourself asking “can horses eat cauliflower?” because as a horse owner, it’s natural that you might want to give your horse different types of treats. And the good news is that horses can eat a whole range of different fruits and vegetables.
But before giving your horse any kind of new food, you must make sure that it’s safe first. So in this guide, we’re going to take a look at cauliflower. And we’ll find out of it’s safe for horses to eat.
Can Horses Eat Cauliflower?
Although cauliflower is a very healthy vegetable for humans to eat, it’s not that good for horses. If horses eat cauliflower it can lead to excessive gas and digestive discomfort. This means that you shouldn’t feed horses cauliflower.
Why Can’t Horses Eat Cauliflower?
Cauliflower is part of the Brassicaceae family of plants. Other vegetables in this family include broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and kale. And you should avoid feeding any of these to horses.
This is because they contain a sugar called raffinose. This type of sugar creates a lot of gas in the digestive system. And while humans can handle this kind of gas, horses can't. Even small amounts can lead to digestive discomfort. And if a horse eats cauliflower in large amounts then there could be more severe problems like colic.
This is because horses have a very sensitive digestive system and in addition to this, they can't vomit. So with horses, a mild digestive complaint can easily turn into a more severe one.
If your horse eats a tiny piece of a brassica vegetable such as cauliflower, by accident, this should be fine. But if your horse eats a large amount of cauliflower, you need to keep a close eye on it and call the vet if it shows signs of colic.
Colic Symptoms
Signs of colic include sweating and pawing the ground. Your horse will look round at its stomach a lot if there’s pain there. And it might try to kick at its stomach with its back legs. A horse with colic may also look bloated and often they won't be able to pass droppings.
The main concern with colic is when the horse starts to roll around because of the pain. This can result in a twisted gut which can be fatal. So if you think your horse has colic then try to keep it walking around and upright until the vet arrives.
Better Vegetables You Can Feed Your Horse
Even though horses can't eat cauliflower, they can eat a whole range of other vegetables. As long as you choose vegetables that aren’t toxic to horses then they make a fantastic addition to your horse's diet.
Safe vegetables for horses include sweet potatoes. Horses can eat these cooked or raw. And you can also feed your horse pumpkin. But if you’re using Halloween ones make sure that they’re not moldy. And that they don’t have leftover wax, paint or glitter on them.
Horses can also eat celery, both the leaves and stems. And they can eat corn too. But when it comes to feeding horses corn, it’s better to feed them just the kernels. This is because the cob and leaves can easily become a choking hazard.
As well as this, horses can safely eat fresh green beans. And they can also eat zucchini and cucumber.
Feeding Vegetables Safely
When it comes to feeding your horses vegetables then it’s always a good idea to chop them up first. If you don’t, then they can potentially choke your horse. Especially fast eaters who don’t chew properly.
And you should always introduce new food and treats into your horse's diet slowly. This is because rapid diet changes can lead to colic.
Conclusion
So, can horses eat cauliflower? The answer to this question is a clear no. Horses shouldn’t eat cauliflower or any other vegetable from the brassica family. This is because they all contain raffinose which creates excessive gas in the digestive system. And horse can't handle this gas so it will usually lead to colic.
There’s plenty of safer vegetable treats for your horse to eat. So choose one of these instead.
