01/08/2026
Tasty treats to tantalise your horses taste buds 😋🐎🥕🍏
With this extended drought and lack of green grass, the horses are on full winter rations of hay and I wanted to give them something succulent too. But what is best and safe?
First I asked the girls what they liked. I asked Basil too but he was more interested in annoying his Auntie Vera and was a totally unreliable subject. No surprise there 🤪. The taste test is in the video. Grandma went shopping and supplied a little buffet for the test ♥️
Then I researched each tasty treat to see what benefits they bring:
Carrots - beta-carotene which provides vitamin A. Also a good source of potassium, vitamin C and magnesium
Parsnip - similar to carrots but a little fibre and no vitamin A. Rich in vitamins C and K, also folate and potassium.
Swede - high in vitamin C, potassium, calcium and magnesium
Apple - more sugar in apples (around 10% by weight). High in vitamin C and potassium
Celery - lowest in sugar at around 1.5% by weight. It's 95% water. High in vitamin K and A, potassium and folate. Celery is good as horses like the crunch factor which makes them chew.
Vitamin A is needed for vision, immune system and skin
Vitamin C is needed for muscle and nerve function
Vitamin K is important for blood clotting if they cut themselves. It's also crucial for bone growth and to prevent calcium building in blood vessels.
Potassium is an electrolyte which keeps muscles moving including heart and gut
Folate is abundant in grass but depletes rapidly in hay. It helps create red blood cells and hemoglobin to transport oxygen around the body. It's also needed to create keratin which helps prevent brittle hooves, it boosts the immune system and helps balance the gut.
They're missing all these natural goodies by not having grass, but shouldn't have too much or their digestive system won't cope. They already have a vitamin and mineral supplement all year round, but now they'll be getting a little side salad with their hay too. Just one of each is plenty to help them out and cheer them up with something juicy whilst we all do our daily rain dance.
Disclaimer: I am not a vet nor do I have any qualifications as a nutritionist. This is just my personal research to enrich my own horses who have no known medical conditions.
