Celery is a delicious and healthy vegetable in human diets. But is this kind of crisp and crunchy celery safe to feed your horses? Can horses eat celery? Find the answer to your wonder right here.
The main foods of horses are hay and grain. But like us, horses also like a varied diet with fruits and vegetables. Keep on reading to find out how beneficial a diet with celery is, as well as tips to feed your equine companions with celery. Everything you need to know about “Can horses eat celery” will be included and revealed to you.
Can Horses Eat Celery? Is It Safe To Feed Horses With Celery?
“Can horses eat celery?” – Yes, horses can eat celery. Fresh celery is normally safe to feed your horses. This vegetable is crisp and fibrous, and it is a member of the Apiaceae family. Celery stalks have edible leafy tips and grow into tall, ribbed, green structures. Its flavorful and crisp texture makes it a popular addition to many soups, salads, and snacks.
As a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C, and K, and folate, celery is highly valued. Its high water content (95%) and low-calorie level prevent the horse from gaining weight while also keeping them hydrated.
Is There Any Risk When Giving Horses Celery?
Celery is safe for horses to eat. However, you need to keep in mind a few things below to avoid any potential risks when feeding horses:
- Choking Hazard: Celery stalks can be stringy and fibrous. This can be a little hard for horses to eat and swallow and thus, can get choking. Ensure to cut celery into small pieces before feeding horses to minimize the risk.
- Digestive Upset: Horses have sensitive digestive systems. Thus, giving them too much celery or any other new food too quickly may result in digestive issues like gas or colic. If your horse has never eaten celery before, start with little portions and observe how they respond.
- Pesticide Residue: Celery can have pesticide residue, just like many other vegetables. Therefore, always remember to wash them carefully before feeding your horse.
How To Feed Horses With Celery Safely – Can Horses Eat Celery?
Horses can eat celery safely. However, you need to do some preparation before giving those refreshing celery to your favorite horses.
How To Prepare Celery For Horses?
Wash Thoroughly: It’s important to give clean celery to horses. Thoroughly wash the celery under cold running water. This helps remove any dirt, pesticides, or residues from the surface. It is the best if you can give your horses with organic celery.
Remove all the leaves (Optional): Celery is not toxic and editable. We usually use both stalks and leaves of celery for cooking, but some horses don’t like to eat them. So, you can consider discarding all the celery leaves if your horse is picky.
Cut Into Small Pieces: Celery stalks are usually long and fibrous. So, you need to chop them into manageable pieces (1-2 inches long) so that horses can chew and digest them more easily.
How Much Celery Should A Horse Eat?
The secret to feeding fruits and vegetables to horses is moderation. Celery should generally be limited to no more than 10% of a horse’s daily intake. For example, a 1200 lb horse can eat around 5-6 celery stalks a day.
Don’t feed all celery at a time to your horses. Instead, divide it into 2 or 3 servings during the day. You also can mix the celery with grain and main hay and feed the horses.
Overfeeding celery, or any other vegetable, can lead to digestive upset and urination issues due to the high water and fiber content. So, you need to create moderated treats to ensure the horses enjoy the foods while having a nutritional balance.
Other Safe Kinds of Vegetables For Horses
Can horses eat celery? The answer is “Yes”. But celery is not the only vegetable your horses can eat. Here are some other vegetables that are safe and healthy that you can consider:
Carrots
This is a very common and classic favorite among horses. Those carrots are sweet, crunchy, and packed with beta-carotene – a good pick to add more nutrition to a horse’s diet.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are pleasant and hydrating, much like celery. Horses can also enjoy them as terrific low-calorie snacks, particularly in the summer.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins have a great flavor and nutritious content. They can be fed raw or cooked and are rich in vitamins and fiber. Because pumpkins have a high natural sugar content, be careful to feed them to your horse in tiny amounts.
Broccoli
For horses, broccoli is a tasty and safe treat. It provides a good amount of fiber, vitamins C and K, and antioxidants. However, because of its cruciferous nature, it should only be fed in moderation as it can produce gas in certain horses.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are rich in vitamins A and C and very good for the health of horses. They come in various colors, adding variety to your horse’s diet.
Zucchini
Another hydrating vegetable you can select is zucchini. This kind of vegetable is soft and easy for horses to chew. It’s also low in calories and rich in vitamins.
Besides those vegetables, fruits are also yummy treats that many horses like to eat. Some popular and safe kinds of fruits that you can easily buy and prepare for your horses are oranges, apples, pears, and bananas.
Homemade Treats With Celery For Horses
For picky horses, to encourage them to eat celery, you may need to turn celery into some yummy treats. Let’s see how you can do that:
- Celery & Peanut Butter: To add more flavor to celery, peanut butter is a perfect choice. As you know, the combination of celery and peanut butter is the favorite of many of us. Additionally, horses may also favor it.
- Baking Celery Treats: Mix chopped celery, carrot, flour, oats, apples, and a little honey well. Put the mixture into cookie sheets and bake them at 3500F for around 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool and then you can give them to your horses.
- Celery Soup: Your horses will love this delectable soup on chilly winter days. Grain, chopped carrots, chopped celery stalks, and molasses should all be placed in a feed pail. Next, add hot water a little at a time while swirling thoroughly to achieve the proper consistency.
Health Benefits of Eating Celery For Horses
Celery is not only a delicious treat for horses but also holds a few health benefits that can add to your horse’s well-being as follows:
- Low-Calorie Treat: Celery is a good snack or treat for horses, more so for those that must watch their weight, since it is very low in calories. This food provides them with the diversity needed in their diet without adding a lot of calories.
- Packed with Vitamins & Minerals: Celery is rich in many essential vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K. These will work for the bone health, immune system, and general vitality of your horse.
- High Water Content: Celery will help to keep your horses cool and hydrated during hot weather and after exercise, because of the high composition of water the plant contains, about 95%. That makes it a nice rehydrating treat or snack to increase the amount of water they get in each day.
- Supports Digestive Health: Fiber in celery is good for digestion and the regular passage of stools. Thus, helps avoid constipation in horses. Celery is also fibrous, which encourages chewing. Chewing is excellent for the dental health of horses, but more to the point here, it encourages the production of saliva.
- Antioxidant Properties: Vitamin C and flavonoids are antioxidants that protect the cells against the action of free radicals. These antioxidants support the preservation of health and lessen inflammatory processes to a certain extent.
- Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure: Celery’s potassium content regulates horses’ blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Since high blood pressure in horses is not a common problem in most instances, it is generally important to maintain proper electrolyte balance.
A Word From Raxin Horse
“Can horses eat celery?”—You must have your answer already. Celery is an interesting, refreshing, and healthy complement to their diet, but remember not to overdo it. Hay and grain are prioritized, but occasional treats will add more nutrition—and joy—to your horse.
