Love it or hate it, celery is one of the most healthy vegetables to eat and people love it for it's crunchy and refreshing texture. We know that horses love crunchy fruits and vegetables too, so is celery safe for them to eat? Before giving your horse new treats, you must do your research first. Can horses eat celery? We’ll help you find out the answer below.
Can Horses Eat Celery?
Celery is one of the vegetables that's available all year round, you can get it in most supermarkets and it’s reasonably cheap to buy. So the good news is that, yes, horses can eat celery and it makes a great snack for your horse. Many horses like sweet treats but celery makes a healthier alternative for a horse that can't eat sugar.
Is Celery Healthy For Horses?
We know that horses can eat celery and it's a very healthy snack for humans, but do horses get the same health benefits from it too? Lets take a look at the nutritional content of celery below to find out.
Vitamins and Minerals
Just like all other vegetables, celery contains essential vitamins and minerals and is a fantastic source of fiber which will help your horse in optimum function. This crunchy green stick is full of Vitamin C, as well as vitamins A, K and B6.
Celery contains lots of potassium and magnesium too, which are both essential for keeping your horses body balanced. They both help with muscle and nerve function as well as maintaining good circulation.
Fiber and Water
Celery contains lots of water which means that it’s a hydrating and refreshing snack for your horse. It's also a fantastic source of fiber which helps to keep your horse's digestive system healthy. Without fiber, horses can't absorb the nutrients from their foodstuff.
Low Sugar and Low Carb
For humans, celery is a great vegetable to eat if you’re trying to lose weight. Because it's made from mostly water then this means that it’s low in sugar and low in carbohydrates. This makes celery a great treat for overweight or insulin resistant horses. Be sure to check with your vet first before giving celery to a horse with any digestive issues.
Can Horse Eat Raw Celery?
When celery is fed raw, it provides the maximum amount of nutrition. It's more appealing to most horses too because it's crunchier. Feeding celery raw is the best way to give it to your horse.
However, if a horse has dental problems then you may want to cook it to make it softer for them to chew. If you do cook celery then you can keep the water and mix it in with your horses regular feed for extra flavor.
Are Celery Leaves Safe For Horses to Eat?
Horses enjoy anything fresh and green so the good news is that you can give your horse celery leaves too. Not only are celery leaves ok for horses to consume, but the leaves are also the most nutritious parts of the plant. In fact, celery is completely non-toxic and all parts of it are safe for horses to eat, leaves and all.
But remember to stick to the recommended allowance and don't give your horse too many celery leaves all at once.
Can Horses Eat Celery Sticks?
Although celery is completely safe for a horse to eat, you shouldn’t give it to them in whole sticks. This is because horses, particularly ones who don’t chew properly, could choke on them.
If a horse doesn’t chew celery properly then it can get stuck in it’s windpipe. And for many horses, this can result in a choke. This is why you must cut treats up properly before giving them to your horse and supervise them when they're eating them.
How Much Celery Should you Give a Horse?
We know that snacks and treats should be limited in the feed rations of a horse, even the healthy ones. So it’s good to know exactly how much celery you should be feeding your horse as a treat.
Many horse owners will only feed celery to their horse once or twice a week. And it’s recommended that you shouldn’t feed your horse more than 2lb of celery snack at a single time. This adds up to around 2-3 sticks of celery.
Warnings About Feeding Celery to a Horse
You must be cautious when you’re feeding your horse anything that isn’t grass or hay. As we’ve discovered, horses can eat celery and it makes a very healthy snack. But just like with all other snacks, it still has some warnings.
Don’t Feed too Much
Snacks and treats should only make up a tiny part of your horse's diet. If your horse eats too many treats then it may be too full to eat it’s regular, balanced feed. In the long term, this can result in all kinds of nutritional deficiencies and illnesses.
Because they have such sensitive digestive systems, if horses eat celery in large amounts then it could potentially cause colic. When feeding a horse celery you should always keep to the recommended feeding guidelines.
Prepare it Correctly
As we’ve discovered, if you don’t prepare celery correctly before feeding it then it could become a choking hazard. Always make sure that you feed celery in bite-sized pieces so that it's safe for your horse to eat.
Older Horses
Celery is very crunchy so an older horse or a horse with dental problems might have a hard time chewing it up. This means that instead of feeding them pieces of celery, you should give them celery that has been cooked or blended to a pulp.
This can be added to their regular feed. Older horses will benefit a lot from the added nutrition of celery in their diet.
Horses with HYPP
HYPP is a condition in horses that affects their central nervous system. One of the main contributors to this condition is excessive potassium in their diets.
Just like bananas, celery is high in this mineral. This is why horses with HYPP shouldn't eat celery or other foods that are high in potassium. It could make their condition worse.
Introduce it Slowly
The horse is famous for having a delicate digestive tract. So most horse owners know that it’s wise to introduce new food, including vegetable, into the diet slowly, and watch what their horses eat. This prevents the horses gut from becoming overwhelmed and will save your horse the unnecessary suffering of colic.
If you want to start giving your horse celery as a vegetable treat then you should start by giving it a tiny piece first. You should then watch your horse closely for the next 24 hours looking out for signs of abdominal discomfort.
If your horse shows no bad signs then you can gradually start giving it larger portions of celery.
Tips on Preparing Celery for Horses
Now that we know that horses can eat celery as a treat, we'll learn about the best way to prepare it for them.
Wash Celery and Check it for Mold
Before horses eat celery, you must thoroughly wash it first, both sticks and leaves. This removes any harmful pesticides or bacteria that aren't good for your horse's stomach. If you want to avoid chemicals and pesticides altogether then buy organic celery for your horse.
Next, you should make sure that there aren't any mouldy or rotten parts. You should never feed horses rotten food because it can be toxic and will make them ill.
So, if the celery is moldy then throw it away.
Chop it Correctly
Before horses eat celery or any other vegetables, you should chop them into small pieces first. This prevents them from becoming a choking hazard when they're fed to horses.
The best way to cut the celery is by slicing it widthways into half-inch slices. You can then feed the small pieces as a treat or add them to your horse's regular food.
What if a Horse Doesn't Like Celery?
Many horses eat celery, however, some might turn their nose away from this crunchy stick because it's not sweet and full of sugar.
If your horse doesn't enjoy eating celery then don't worry, there are plenty of other fruit and vegetables, apart from apples and carrots, that make a healthy treat for your horse.
Conclusion
As well as being a very healthy treat for horses, celery is readily available and has a crunchy texture that many horses love. As long as it's fed in small amounts then it sure can make a refreshing and delicious treat for horses. Always introduce celery slowly, and make sure you cut it up the right way before feeding it.
Can horses eat celery? As long as you follow the advice in this guide when you're feeding it then, yes they can.
