Do Horses Eat Meat The Best Snacks For Your Stable Buddies

Horses are domestic animals that belong to the family Equidae.Historians say that this animal was first domesticated by humans as early as 4000 BC. These mammals have an average lifespan of 25-30 years and their domesticated training begins at the age of two or four and by the time they become five or six years old, they turn into adult animals.As of today, there are around 300 different species of horses in the world and every one of them has a digestive system that is built for herbivorous food. All horse owners, whether it is due to sporting events or for farm work, often come across rumors about meat eating horses and have been left stunned. As far we know, horses are herbivores and we have always seen or imagined a horse eating grass, hay, fruit or, vegetables. Horses eating meat is not a common sight. Even though horses are herbivores, there are videos where horses eat meat and horses can digest meat in small quantities. This does not mean that you can feed meat to your horse in large quantities or that it can be a part of your horse’s diet. The regular diet of a horse must largely comprise hay, grass, apples, carrots, and some other fruit and vegetables. This is mainly because a horse’s stomach and its entire digestive system is not capable of digesting meat in larger quantities.If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about how do horses sleep and how much hay does a horse eat here on Kidadl?Food In A Horse’s DietUnder ideal conditions, a horse’s diet should be largely herbivorous as its digestive system is then better able to process the food. There are certain conditions when horses eat meat to avoid health problems and to consume some extra protein. This is usually seen in the case of Icelandic horses where owners feed dried fish to their horses especially during the harsh winter conditions. This is also seen in the case of Tibetan horses which are fed a mixture of grain and blood to avoid any potential mineral deficiency.Both dried fish and a grain and blood mixture are not direct forms of meat, they are actually derivatives of meat. Under ideal weather and health conditions, horses should not eat meat. Horses should only eat food that will benefit their digestive systems. It is no surprise that their staple diet comprises grass and hay. These contain high fiber and roughage which are an integral part of a horse’s diet. The hay that horses eat should be clean, free from any debris, soil or poisonous plants and at the same time it should be free from mold and dust as well. If you let a horse graze in an open field that has good quality grass and hay, this will fulfil the amount of roughage and minerals needed. These are the general diet constituents of a horse, but at times you must consult a vet before feeding your horse rather than using a diet chart. Studies have said that food requirements in a horse vary depending upon its breed, health, weight, and level of work. The kind of food required will also change depending on the current climatic conditions.How To Maintain A Horse’s NutritionHorses are not exactly meat eaters. All the nutrients that they require to stay healthy and energetic are found in hay, grass, grains, and vegetables. The six primary nutrients that horses require include fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and most essentially water.Water is the most basic and essential component for the survival of horses. Generally, for every 1 lb (0.45) of hay that horses eat, they drink around 0.5 gal (2.3 l) of water. In hot and humid conditions when the work pressure is more, horses need more water than usual. Fats and carbohydrates are an integral part of a horse’s diet as they provide energy to the animal. Almost every type of food that horses eat contains carbohydrates but in low amounts. The highest amounts of carbohydrates are present in corn, barley, and oats. Fats provide three times the energy that carbohydrates provide but they are not present in every food item. There are special fat seeds or other fat supplements for this purpose. People often feed fruits and vegetables to their horses but be careful about certain fruits such as apples because apple seeds contain hydrogen cyanide which can prove to be fatal for horses if consumed in large quantities. Protein is a very important nutrient for not only horses but for any animal, especially during the growth stage. Proteins available in alfalfa and soybean help in building muscle. Vitamins and minerals are required by horses to keep their bodies healthy and disease-free.What is a horse’s digestive system?A closer look at the digestive system of horses will let you know why these animals have only eaten meat occasionally or by mistake. Animals like horses, gorillas, and elephants have digestive systems that do not allow them to eat meat. The bodies of these animals are better capable of digesting plant produce. Ranging from horse teeth to the intestines, the entire body of this animal has been designed for eating herbivorous food.If you take a look at the empty stomach or the intestines of a horse and then of any other animal such as a lion, you will observe that the horse has a larger stomach and longer intestines. Plants that animals, like horses, eat take a lot of time to break down and then digested which is further followed by the absorption of nutrients. For all these steps to take place, a lot of time is required, leading to a larger stomach and longer intestines. Another reason why horses cannot eat meat is because their livers are not capable of removing certain toxins which are present in the meats of some animals. The process of digestion in every animal begins at their mouths, specifically from their teeth. Horses have flat teeth, molars which are better at chewing and grinding rather than to tear and eat meat. Carnivores on the other hand have sharp teeth known as canines which are used to tear and eat meat. Horses lack these sharper teeth and they cannot eat meat naturally. Horses have digestive systems which are designed to eat food slowly. Iff the digestive tract is left empty for too long it can cause colic due to which horses should eat low-calorie food as they need to eat many times throughout the day.Why would a horse eat meat?We have heard stories about wild horses that eat meat and there are several instances when even domesticated horses are given fish or meat to eat. Sometimes horses eat meat unknowingly but sometimes they are well aware of what they are eating even though their digestive systems are not built for it. There are some extraordinary conditions and reasons that lead to horses eating meat.The most common phenomenon of horses eating meat is during harsh winter conditions. During these times, the normal food supply often is not available so owners have to revert to other choices. In Iceland, not only wild horses but also domestic horses eat dried fish during winters to keep their protein intake high. Eating meat also keeps the body weight levels of horses in check and ensures that they do not lose weight rapidly. Sir Ernest Shackleton, who is known to be the first one to travel to the South Pole, had a pony who was known for eating meat with Sir Ernest due to the extreme climatic conditions.During wars, there were situations when horses were made to eat meat due to scarcity of vegetation. This was commonly seen in desert regions. You might have also seen a horse eating meat in the form of supplements to help the horse consume adequate amounts of protein and fats. Normally, horses are attracted towards anything that is salty. This because horses love to eat salty food which is another reason why they enjoy dried fish and several other forms of meat. The sodium content in meat attracts a horse. The final and the most likely reason why a horse might eat meat at times is, just by mistake or out of curiosity. It has been seen that when a horse sees its owner eating something, it tries to grab a bite. This is how mistakenly a horse often ends up eating meat.What would happen if a horse ate meat?Whether it is a wild horse or a domesticated horse, if either of them consumed meat in a considerable quantity, it can be harmful to them. The basic reason behind this is, the digestive systems of both wild horses as well as domesticated horses are not capable of digesting meat.Owners should keep in mind that horses cannot vomit like other carnivores or even humans can, so if they consume any mold or toxins along with the meat, it will be very difficult for them to get rid of it. If these toxins stay inside the body of a horse for long, they can eventually prove to be fatal for the animal.What is the difference between the diet of a wild horse and a pet horse?There is a stark difference in the regular diet of wild horses and domestic horses. Wild horses have to survive on anything that they can eat in the wild. Wild horses have been known to eat smaller rodents and other small animals living in the wild but data suggests that wild horses such as the Przewalski of Mongolia are strict herbivores.The diet of a wild horse comprises grass, peas, beans, asters, cat grass, trefoil, and vetches. When the winter sets in and food is scarce, these horses resort to eating fruits, bark, twigs and other shrubs like roses, pears, and alders. Pet horses on the other hand graze on grass, hay, and different types of forage including green hay, alfalfa, corn, bran, oats, wheat, barley, carrots, and turnips.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked discovering do horses eat meat then why not take a look at how long does a horse live, or Horse Facts.

Horses are domestic animals that belong to the family Equidae.