If you’re asking “can horses eat watermelon?” then you’re doing the right thing as a responsible owner. For many of us, the juicy taste of watermelon is what makes the summer. It’s cool and refreshing and nothing will pick you up like a piece of watermelon on a sunny day. And it’s no wonder, that horse owners want to share this pleasure with their equine friends too.
So let's take a look at watermelon below. And we’ll find out if it’s okay for horses to eat.
Can Horses Eat Watermelon?
Horses can eat watermelon, however, you should never let them try to eat a whole one. Even though all of the watermelon is safe for horses to eat, seeds, flesh and rind, it should always be fed in moderation.
Watermelon is a very safe treat for most animals, including cats and dogs. Even wild animals will help themselves to watermelon if they find it growing.
Is Watermelon Healthy for Horses?
Now that you know that horses can eat watermelon. Next, you might be wondering if it’s a healthy treat for a horse to eat. The good news is that because of it's high water content, watermelon is very healthy and refreshing for your horse. And we’ll take a look at its nutritional benefits below.
Fat Free
As you can probably guess from its name, watermelon is made up mostly of water, up to 92 percent. So as well as it being a refreshing fruit, it can help keep your horse hydrated. On top of this watermelons are fat and cholesterol-free.
Vitamins
Watermelons also contain vitamin C and A which are good for your horse's immune system and bone health. They also contain vitamin B6 which can give your horse energy and improve its overall well-being.
Minerals
Watermelons contain a good range of minerals too. The main ones being iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. These minerals help to keep your horse's body functioning at optimum condition.
Fiber
Just like all fruit and vegetables, watermelon is a fantastic source of fiber. And horses need a lot of fiber in their diets to help their digestive system run smoothly.
Sugar
Because watermelon is so sweet, you’d think that it would be high in sugar. But actually, it doesn't contain much more sugar than a carrot. However, you should still be cautious about giving watermelon to horses with metabolic conditions. Sugar isn't okay for these horses and even a small amount of sugar could make their condition worse.
Can Horses Eat the Watermelon Rind?
If you're asking "can horses eat watermelon?". Then you might want to know about the rind too. And even though watermelon rinds might not seem appealing to us, it actually makes a good horse treat. So if your horse likes to eat watermelon rind, then you can leave it on when you’re giving watermelon as a treat.
The watermelon rind, just like the rind of most fruit, is highly concentrated in vitamins and minerals as well as essential fiber. As well as this it contains amino acids that can potentially help keep your horses' heart healthy. You should wash watermelon rind before you serve it, to remove any pesticides. And you should cut watermelon rind into bite sized pieces so that it doesn't become a choking hazard.
Watermelon rind is more concentrated in potassium so it especially shouldn't be fed to horses with HYPP. And just like all other treats, you should only feed watermelon rind in small quantities.
Can Horses Eat Watermelon Seeds?
The seed of most fruit contain small amounts of harmful toxins. So this is why owners often question whether or not fruit seeds are safe for horses. But the amount of toxins in these seeds is very low, any horses are large animals. Thus your horse would have to eat a massive amount of seeds to make it ill. So overall, watermelon seeds are safe for your horse to eat.
The only time you need to be careful about seeds is when it comes to the large pits or stones of peaches and plums for example. You should always remove large stones or seeds from these fruits before giving them as treats to your horse. And if you’re concerned about giving watermelon seeds to your horse then buying watermelon without seeds is always an option.
Can Senior and Young Horses Eat Watermelons?
All horse, young or old can enjoy eating watermelon. However, senior horses with dental problems might have a problem chewing rind. In this case, you should only give them watermelon flesh to eat.
Also, young horses shouldn't eat too much watermelon. If they do then they might be too full to eat their regular diet. And it's important that young horses have a balanced diet while they're growing and developing.
How Much Watermelon Should you Feed a Horse?
Just like with all treats, you should feed watermelon in small quantities. And vets and nutritionists recommend that you feed your horse no more than 1 pound of watermelon each day. And this should only be given one or two times a week. Just like with all fruit, you shouldn't feed your horse watermelon every day.
Warnings about Feeding Horses Watermelon?
Any food in a horse's diet that isn't grass or hay has the potential to cause problems, even watermelon with it's high water content. So you should be careful when your feeding your horse treats. Below we’ll take a look at the things you need to be particularly aware of when it comes to feeding your horse watermelon.
Colic
Because horses are grazing animals, this means that any concentrated food, including fruit and treats, must be fed in moderation. Their digestive systems are designed to deal with grass and roughage. If you feed too much concentrated feed, fruit or sugar, then this can upset their digestive system and cause colic. So this is one of the reasons why you should stick to the recommended feeding guidelines and feed your horse watermelon treats in moderation.
Choke
Any food has the potential to choke a horse and this is why watermelon and other fruit treats needs to be cut into small bite sized pieces before you feed them to your horse. If the pieces are too big and your horse doesn't chew properly then potentially large pieces can get stuck in your horse's windpipe. And this might result in choke.
HYPP
Horses with Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) are very sensitive to potassium and they shouldn't have too much of it in their diet. So never give horses with this condition watermelon because it could aggravate their condition.
Metabolic Conditions
Although horses love watermelon and it doesn't contain huge amounts of sugar, you should still be cautious about feeding it to horses with any kind of metabolic issues. This includes things like laminitis, Cushing's or insulin resistance. Excessive amounts of sugar could easily cause these conditions to get worse.
If you have any concerns about giving watermelon to your horse then don't be afraid to ask your vet for advice first.
Tips on How to Prepare Watermelon for Horses
Horse owners find it pretty easy to prepare watermelon for their horses, especially if the horse loves eating the rind. If this is the case then you can simply cut the watermelon into chunks and give it to your horse. Ideally, the chunks should be around one inch square. If you're serving watermelon with the rind to your horse then be sure to wash it first.
Watermelon makes a great summer treat. And because of the high water content of the flesh, you can make it into a frozen treat for your horse. To do this, put some chunks in the freezer before serving them to your horse. The flesh will become frozen and your horse will love these crunchy, refreshing watermelon pieces on a hot summer day.
As well as this, you could freeze some pieces of watermelon in a bowl of water. Let it defrost a bit and tip it out. And you have a delicious watermelon popsicle that your horse will love. But don't put too many pieces in the water, you don't want to go over the recommended daily allowance for watermelon.
Because watermelon is sweet and tasty, you could also use it to make a bran mash more appealing. Or you can add it to regular feed to encourage a picky eater to finish all it's rations.
Conclusion
As you can see, watermelon is definitely a good choice of treat for your horse's diet, as long as it’s fed in moderation. It’s healthy and refreshing and your horse will love eating it on a hot summers day.
And the great news is that all parts of the watermelon are safe for horses to eat, rind, flesh and seeds. But take care with the rind when your feeding watermelon to your horse. Make sure that you cut it into small pieces. You don’t want it to become a choking hazard.
So, can horses eat watermelon? I think we can safely say that they can!
