If you’re looking for new, healthy snacks for your equine friend, you might be wondering, can horses eat beetroot? Many owners feed their horse dried beet pulp, and there is a range of beetroot horse supplements on the market. But what about the vegetable itself? Is that safe for horses to eat? We’ll answer your question in this quick guide below.
Can Horses Eat Beetroot
Horses certainly can eat beetroot, and most horses will love to eat it because it’s high in sugar. Horses can eat all parts of the beetroot. However, you must feed the leaves in moderation because they contain oxalates, which can be toxic to horses in large amounts.
The skin of beetroot is also safe for horses to eat, but you must remove any dirt first. If horses eat too much dirt, this could lead to compaction colic.
Is Beetroot Healthy for Horses?
Beetroot is a very healthy vegetable for horses to eat, and studies have revealed that beetroot is a nutrient-rich super-food for both horses and humans. As well as containing lots of protein and fiber, beetroot also contains many essential vitamins and minerals.
Beetroot contains lot’s of iron, folic acid, magnesium and potassium, so it’s great for your horse's circulatory system, bones and muscles. As well as this, it contains a powerful antioxidant called betanin, which is what gives beetroot its red color. Betanin is fantastic for your horse's cellular health.
As far as vitamins go, beetroot contains high levels of vitamin A, which is also a powerful antioxidant. Beetroots contain lots of vitamin B too, and your horse needs this to turn carbohydrates into energy. Furthermore, they're full of vitamin C, which is a fantastic immune booster, and it will help your horse absorb iron.
Overall, beetroot is fantastic for your horse's coat, skin, muscles, bones, immune and cardiovascular system. Hence, it’s a good supplement for performance horses. However, beetroot is pretty high in sugar, so you should only feed it to your horse in small amounts. And you should never give it to horses with metabolic conditions such as equine metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance.
Warnings About Feeding Beetroot to Horses
Beetroots are so sweet, they’re used to produce sugar. This is why most horses will be very keen to gobble down beetroot. However, too much sugar is bad for horses, so you should always feed your horse beetroot in moderation and you shouldn’t feed it to them every day.
Sugar can be bad for obese horses or horses that suffer from metabolic issues such as laminitis, Cushing's and insulin resistance. Therefore, you mustn't feed these horses beetroot under any circumstances.
Furthermore, beetroot contains quite a lot of potassium, so this means you mustn’t feed it to horses with HYPP. Horses with this condition cant have too much potassium because it will make their condition worse.
How to Prepare Beetroot For Horses
The skin of beetroot is good for horses because it contains lots of vitamins and minerals. However, beetroot comes out of the ground, so often, it’s covered in dirt, and it’s bad for horses to eat too much dirt. So before giving your horse a beetroot, you must scrub it first with a brush and some water or peel it to remove the skin.
Horses should eat beetroot raw because it’s more concentrated in vitamins and minerals than when you cook it. However, older horses or horses with dental problems may find it hard to chew raw beetroot. For older horses, cook the beetroot first to make it soft or shred it up for them.
Finally, many horse owners will feed their horses whole beetroots. However, feeding horses whole fruits and vegetables can lead to choking. Especially beetroots because they’re very hard. To minimize the risk of choke, cut the beetroot into bite-sized 1-inch chunks before giving it to your horse.
Conclusion
Looking back on the question, “can horses eat beetroot?”, the answer is a clear yes. Horses can eat all parts of the beetroot and it makes a tasty and healthy snack for them. But just like with all treats, to avoid colic or other health issues, you should always feed your horse beetroot in moderation.
