Can horses eat bananas? Can horses eat banana peels? Do horses like bananas?
It's a question that often ends up crossing a new owner's mind.
After all, you're always looking for a way to spice up your horse's diet.
Let's see whether bananas are an ideal way of doing it.
Don't forget to also check "Can Horses Eat Oranges?"
Can Horses Eat Bananas?
You'll be happy to know most horses can eat bananas.
Bananas are considered an excellent source of potassium for them.
Their delicious taste doesn't hurt matters, either.
Many horses will even look forward to enjoying these tasty fruits.
But you'll want to introduce it slowly to them, which should help ensure there aren't any allergies or discomfort.
Feed them a few bites the first time and see what happens from there.
You'll also want to provide them in moderation, as too many could cause digestive issues.
But bananas can be a fantastic way to help keep up with your horse's sweet tooth.
More importantly, bananas offer a slew of benefits that could improve their health.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRcN4nNkYs
Can Horse Eat Banana Peels?
Horse owners don't have to worry about banana peels causing any adverse effects.
If they don't seem to mind the taste, there's no reason that your horse can't eat them.
But the taste is where serving banana peels gets tricky.
Some horses will not enjoy the peel's overly bitter taste, which shouldn't be surprising to anyone who's bitten into one.
As a result, horses tend to prefer eating their bananas without this unnecessary bitterness. But some horses do like eating the peels.
Owners with these horses should take a few precautions before giving thema banana peel.
For instance, taking off all the stickers and buying only organic bananas would be a good start.
An organic banana will usually have a peel free of chemical and spay contamination.
It's a simple way of ensuring that your horse is eating an issue-free item.
I'd also suggest cutting up the peel before giving it to your horse. It'll help reduce the probability of any choking issues and be easier on the digestive tract.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4pahS0PEX0
Can Horse Eat Banana Chips?
Horses can eat dried banana chips, but it's not something I'd recommend.
Chips are more petite and solid in nature than fresh bananas.
It makes a larger choking hazard and could cause a dangerous situation.
The drying process of making banana chips also has an impact on their overall health benefits.
It strips them a lot of their nutrients while increasing the sugar amount in the treats.
Due to this, it's always best to stick with fresh bananas rather than offering them chips.
Also check: Can Horses Eat Honey?
Benefits of Bananas to Horses
As I mentioned earlier, bananas do provide horses with several health benefits. Here's a quick list to give you a better idea about what these fruits can provide:
- Offers Vitamin C
- A known source of Vitamin C that'll boost a horse's immune system and help keep your horse healthy. Plus, it'll assist with repairing tissue and cell damage.
- Source of Vitamin B6:
- Converts a horse's carbohydrate and fat intake into energy, which could help with racing.
- Excellent Supplier of Potassium
- It'll aid in helping a horse's nerves, and muscles work. More importantly, potassium is known for keeping their heart healthy.
- Helps with Digestion
- If you feed horses bananas in moderation, these fruits can treat minor gastrointestinal issues and digestion.
- Effective Energy Source
- Bananas provide horses with energy, see the offered vitamins. It's a massive reason why competitive riders feed them to horses before races or other competitions.
Given these benefits, it's no wonder why bananas are often a horse's favorite treat.
Let's now look into how an owner might prepare to let their horses eat them safely.
Check: Can Horses Have Mango?
How to Prepare Bananas for Horses
As you might expect, there are several ways to feed horse bananas. Let's dive into a few methods to find the perfect one for your favorite horse:
Fresh Peeled Bananas
The simplest method of giving a horse these delicious treats is freshly peeling them.
Of course, some owners do feed their horses the bananas with the peels still intact.
But your horse might not like the peel's bitter taste. It changes from horse to horse, which means trial and error will be critical in this decision.
Frozen Bananas
If your horse is a bit picky about room-temperature bananas, some owners have had luck with freezing them.
A frozen banana will have a crunchiness that some horses find more enjoyable.
But I wouldn't recommend it for horses with dental issues. The tougher consistency could cause some problems and make the bananas tougher to eat.
Baked Banana Treats
You can also make some baked banana treats for your horse.
But if you go this route, please ensure all the ingredients are safe for them.
Here's an excellent recipe to follow that could give them a delightful, healthy treat.
Mixing with Bran Mash
If you use bran mash to feed a horse, you can include bananas in it for an extra treat.
Moderation remains the key to this serving method, as it's with all of these options.
Bananas For Horses FAQs
How Many Bananas Can a Horse Eat?
For any treat, the answer to this question remains not very much. "One or two pieces" per day should be more than enough. Your maximum threshold should be two bananas per week for a horse.
Can You Feed Bananas to Senior Horses?
Bananas are an excellent healthy treat for senior horses because "older horses are prone to a variety of dental problems." These fruits require little chewing and will go down more gently.
Conclusion
I hope our discussions on whether horses can eat bananas answered all your questions. But if you have a few more, please don't hesitate to use our comment section. I'll make sure to respond as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading!
References:
- “Banana Skins.” n.d. Horse and Hound Forum. Accessed June 1, 2021. https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/banana-skins.286244/.
- “Bananas and Your Horse.” 2017. Colorado Horse Forum. April 20, 2017. https://coloradohorseforum.com/2017/04/20/bananas-and-your-horse/.
- Bjarnadottir, Adda. 2018. “11 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Bananas.” Healthline. 2018. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-bananas.
- DBS Interactive. 2014. “Feeding Treats to Horses - Kentucky Equine Research.” Kentucky Equine Research. August 7, 2014. https://ker.com/equinews/feeding-treats-horses/.
- M, Kathleen. 2008. “The Benefits of Vitamin C.” WebMD. WebMD. April 8, 2008. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c.
- “Senior Horse Dental Health.” 2020. The Horse. February 27, 2020. https://thehorse.com/113745/senior-horse-dental-health/.
- “SmartPak Recipe: Healthy Banana Horse Treats.” n.d. SmartPak Blog. Accessed June 1, 2021. https://blog.smartpakequine.com/2020/04/healthy-banana-horse-treats/.
- Streit, Lizzie. 2018. “9 Health Benefits of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine).” Healthline. Healthline Media. October 2018. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b6-benefits.
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