Vegetables are often the best go-to treat horse owners grab when they want to feed their animals something special. If you’re trying to find safe, healthy vegetables to feed your horse, celery has probably crossed your mind.
But can horses eat celery? Keep reading to find out. This article will cover the health benefits celery offers and how to introduce celery to your horse.
Can Horses Eat Celery?
Yes, overall celery is safe for horses to eat but there are a few things that should be considered.
Celery is a healthy treat for horses, as it’s low in sugar and carbohydrates. It’s a good option to feed horses that have metabolic conditions or struggle with insulin resistance. Plus, the texture of celery makes it enjoyable for horses to chew on.
Though celery serves as a hydrating, crunchy snack, horse owners should take a few precautions when offering this vegetable as a treat.
Feeding Celery to a Horse
So long as your horse doesn’t have any dental issues and can easily chew and swallow, letting him or her take bites out of a celery stalk shouldn’t pose a problem.
However, if your horse tends to eat too quickly or the animal lives with tooth or gum issues, it might be a better idea to cut the celery stalks into smaller pieces. This way, they’ll be easier to eat without causing pain or presenting a choking hazard.
Additionally, you’ll want to wash the celery stalks before you cut them up and feed them to a horse. This way, you can remove any potential bacteria, pesticides, or other external contaminants.
As with feeding your horse any new treats, it’s important to keep an eye on the animal’s behaviour or demeanour after introducing him or her to celery. Too much celery can cause colic, so keep treats occasional. A celery stalk or two in a week should be quite safe.
A final consideration you should take into account when feeding celery to a horse is the possibility of an allergic reaction, as there is many food. Unfortunately you’re not to go know if your horse is allergic to celery until you’ve tried but you should always take consultations with a vet before introducing new treats.
Celery Health Benefits
Celery contains the vitamins A, B6, and C that horses need in their diets. This vegetable is also a great source of dietary fibre, which aids a horse’s digestion. Though the fibre content in a single piece of celery isn’t enough for a horse’s daily requirements, feeding this vegetable as a treat helps supplement that supply.
Celery is full of water and it’s low in sugar, carbohydrates, and calories so you don’t have to worry about inducing weight gain when you feed a horse celery as an occasional treat.
Remember that too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. Though your horse may really enjoy celery and show signs that he or she wants more than what you’ve offered, keep this treat just that. Horses are a lot like small children in the sense that they’re not very capable of understanding that wanting a snack does not equal needing a snack.
Final Thoughts on Feeding Celery to Horses
A treat should be something special that you can feed horses as a reward once in a while. Your horse will likely appreciate a celery stalk every now and then, but make sure you don’t offer it all the time. Even if your four-legged friend throws a fit when he doesn’t get celery all the time, being in a mood is much more tolerable than gas or colic.
