Carrots and apples are the traditional fruit and vegetable treats that we love to feed to our horses. But did you know that there’s a whole range of other fruits and vegetables that are safe for horses to eat too? One thing you might find yourself asking as a horse owner is “can horses eat cucumbers?”.
In this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at the facts about cucumbers and discover if they’re a safe food for horses to eat.
Can Horses Eat Cucumbers?
As long as they are fed in small amounts then yes, horses sure can eat cucumbers and they make a very healthy and safe snack for your horse.
Because cucumbers are a fresh, green and crunchy food then chances are that your horse will love eating them too. As well as being tasty and refreshing, cucumbers can provide lots of health benefits for your horse.
Are Cucumbers Healthy For Horses to Eat?
Yes, cucumbers are healthy food for horses to eat and they can enrich your horse's health in lots of ways. We’ll take a look at the main nutritional benefits below:
Hydration
Cucumbers are made up of around 95 per cent water. This means that they not only taste refreshing but when horses eat cucumber pieces they'll be more hydrated.
Cucumbers are full of electrolytes too which also help to keep horses hydrated. This makes them a perfect snack for the summertime or for giving them to your horse after a long work out.
Antioxidants
Cucumbers are high in antioxidants, making them great for keeping your horse's muscles functioning at their best. It’s also thought that antioxidants may have an anti-inflammatory effect on horses. This means that when horses eat cucumber, they might have a better recovery after exercising.
Vitamins and Minerals
Just like with all fresh fruits and vegetables, cucumbers contain lots of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C and K which are great for the immune system and metabolism.
They’re also high in potassium which helps with nerve function, and phosphorus, which is well known for helping with strong bones and teeth.
Dietary Fiber
Fiber is an essential part of any diet. It keeps the digestive system moving and is vital for the absorption of nutrients from food. The skin of a cucumber is full of dietary fiber. When horses eat cucumber skin it helps to keep their digestive system running smoothly.
Low Fat
Not only are cucumbers low fat, but they’re low calorie, low carb and low in sugar too. This means that when horses eat cucumber, they won't gain weight, making cucumber one of the best vegetables to feed as a snack to overweight or insulin resistant horses.
How Much and How Often Can Horses Eat Cucumbers?
If you're asking "can horses eat cucumbers?" then its also reasonable that you would want to know what quantity they can safely eat.
Cucumbers make a very healthy treat for horses and they love eating them, but you should still feed them cucumber in small amounts each day to avoid problems.
Treats should only make up a tiny percentage of your horse's diet and cucumbers are no exception. You shouldn’t feed your horse more than two cucumbers per week. These shouldn’t be given all at once, instead, you should serve them in small amounts each day.
It's well known that horses have very sensitive digestive systems and an inability to vomit so this means that you should make sure that you introduce new food slowly. This is especially true when it comes to giving horses new fruits and vegetables as treats.
When you’re giving a horse cucumber pieces or any new food for the first time, just give them one small piece at first. Then you should monitor them over the next 12 to 24 hours for any health changes, different behavior or signs of discomfort.
If there are no adverse reactions then each day you can slowly start to increase the size of the cucumber pieces.
Warnings About Feeding too Many Cucumbers
If you feed cucumbers in large amounts each day then this will overwhelm your horse's digestive system and will most likely cause health issues, including colic. If you want to avoid colic you should make sure that you never feed your horse more than two cucumbers a week and avoid giving them a whole cucumber at a time. Also, if your horse has any digestive complaints or is prone to gas or colic then it’s always a good idea to check with your vet first before feeding it cucumbers.
You may want to monitor your horse when it's been eating cucumbers. If you notice any behavior changes in your horse or abdominal discomfort then you should stop feeding them cucumbers immediately. Lastly, you mustn’t feed them to horses that suffer from HYPP. Cucumbers aren't safe for horses with this condition.
What is HYPP?
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP) is a condition when horses have naturally high levels of potassium in their blood. If horses with this condition are fed foods high in potassium then this can lead to muscle tremors and even paralysis.
Because cucumbers are high in potassium it's best not to feed them to horses with this condition. There are other high potassium foods that you should avoid feeding to horses with HYPP, including bananas, oranges and apricots.
Do Cucumbers Cause Gas in Horses?
Even though horses love to eat cucumbers, they contain cucurbitacin which is slightly irritating to the stomach and stimulates gas production. Some horses are more sensitive to cucurbitacin than others so this is why you must monitor your horse when you’ve fed it cucumbers as a treat.
Because horses can't burp then a build-up of gas in their stomachs can cause health issues such as colic. If your horse suffers from gas or other digestive problems then you should avoid feeding them cucumbers and other vegetables high in cucurbitacin.
Tips on Preparing and Feeding Horses Cucumbers
Sometimes horse treats can become a choking hazard and that’s why you should make sure that you always prepare any fruit or vegetable treats correctly, and supervise your horse when it's eating treats.
When it comes to making cucumbers safe for your horse to eat then there are a number of things you can do to keep any risks to a minimum.
Wash
Firstly, if you buy cucumbers from the supermarket then it’s always important to wash them before feeding them to your horse. Washing them will remove any chemical pesticides that could potentially be harmful to your horses health.
One way to avoid pesticides is by buying organic cucumbers for your horse to eat. You could even try growing your own cucumbers at home.
Cucumber Skin
When it comes to the skin of cucumber then you'll be happy to know that you can safely feed it to your horse without issues. Cucumber skin is not only safe for your horse to eat but it’s also a good source of dietary fiber.
So unless your horse doesn’t like eating cucumber skin then it’s better to leave the cucumber whole, with the skin on.
Size of Cucumbers
To ensure horses eat cucumber pieces without issues, then the way you cut it up is particularly important. Because cucumbers are a round-shaped vegetable then they can easily get lodged in a horses windpipe and cause a choking hazard. I
f you don't want them to become lodged then you should avoid feeding a horse whole cucumbers. This is especially important with greedy horses who don’t take the time to chew their food.
To minimize the risk of your horse choking when it's eating cucumber then it’s best to cut it into thin sticks or small cubes before serving one to your horse.
Feeding to Senior Horses
There’s no reason why old horses who have problems eating hard food can't enjoy the nutritional benefits that are found in cucumber.
Try serving the cucumber in a different way by shredding it or pulverizing it in a food processor for older horses. You could even try including cucumber juice in their regular food as a tasty treat. When you're serving a cucumber in this way, you should still stick to the recommended feeding guidelines.
To prevent any digestive issues, it's best not to feed older horses more than one cucumber a day.
Conclusion
In answer to the question “ can horses eat cucumbers”, we feel it’s safe to say that they can. Cucumbers are tasty, healthy, refreshing and make an excellent choice of treat for your horse, especially in the summertime. As long as you feed them in moderation and monitor your horse for gas then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t feed your horse cucumbers.
