Are horses allowed to eat applesauce?

Applesauce is probably not the first food that comes to mind when you think of feeding horses.

However, applesauce can be a great snack for your animal!

In this post, you’ll learn why applesauce is a real treat for horses and what you should be sure to keep in mind when feeding it to avoid harming your horse.

Are horses allowed to eat applesauce?

Yes, horses are allowed to eat apples and therefore also applesauce. However, you should always make sure that no sugar has been added to the puree.

Also, you should not overdo it with the amount of applesauce, because for the production of applesauce much more apples are used than you would think at first.

The high sugar and acid content of the fruit should not be underestimated, which is why daily feeding of applesauce is not recommended.

Why is applesauce good and bad at the same time?

Applesauce is healthy because apples contain many important vitamins and nutrients.

Especially horses that love apples, but are currently suffering from dental problems and cannot chew apples at the moment, unsweetened applesauce is therefore a tasty alternative.

However, due to the high (fruit) sugar content, applesauce is also very unhealthy and bad for the teeth.

If your four-legged friend struggles with obesity or diabetes, then you should not feed apples or applesauce.

In this case, it makes sense to resort to alternative snacks that are sure to taste at least as good to your horse and have more positive effects.

Nevertheless, a spoonful of applesauce can be fed without hesitation and without you having to have a guilty conscience! The quantity makes the poison.

Now let’s move on to some alternatives that are very healthy for your horse.

What are the alternatives for applesauce?

In this section we would like to introduce you to delicious snacks that you can feed either as a reward after training or in between.

Of course, horse tastes are all different, so it’s best to pick the snack of your choice that will give your horse the most pleasure.

1. dried rose hips

Dried rose hips are rich in vitamins and nutrients that promote the health of your animal. Moreover, they are very good to feed as a small reward during training.

Your horse is overweight?

No problem, because this healthy snack has hardly any calories.

In addition, rose hips also help with impaired hoof growth because, if you feed them daily over a longer period of time, they promote hoof growth and strengthen the hooves.

You can feed up to a handful of rose hips per day without any negative consequences.

2. celery

Your horse has been noticeably listless lately and it seems as if his zest for life is waning?

However, no health-related cause could be determined so far?

You will be amazed if you feed your horse a little celery every day for the next few weeks.

Celery has a stimulating effect and therefore leads to more energy. Since this vegetable also has a positive effect on the animal’s intestinal tract and additionally strengthens the immune system, it is definitely worthwhile for you to try it out to see what changes.

Keep in mind, however, that celery has a diuretic effect, so don’t be surprised if your horse suddenly has to urinate more than usual. This is perfectly normal and is not a cause for concern.

3. beet

Another healthy snack – for both humans and horses – is beet.

Not only are horses incredibly fond of it, but it also has a positive effect on your four-legged friend’s health.

Feeding beetroot has such a positive effect on the appearance of the skin that even eczema is reduced, and in mild cases can disappear completely.

But also the coat of the animals, the hooves, the nerves and the connective tissue are strengthened. You could therefore call the beet a real health boost.

The high iron content in combination with the contained folic acid promotes blood formation, the content of various B vitamins boosts the metabolism. All of these are excellent reasons to integrate beet into your horse’s diet from now on!

4. homemade treats

Healthy horse treats are easy to make yourself without much effort.

Compared to store-bought treats, you can also decide for yourself how rich the treats will be. Mix the ingredients according to the needs and taste preferences of your animal and always use organic products for the production.

Does your horse like bananas?

Then you could, for example, mash two bananas, mix them with oatmeal and a dab of honey, dab the mixture onto a baking tray and put it in the oven!

It’s so easy to make healthy treats that your horse is sure to love!

Of course, this is just a sample recipe, just look around a bit and bake the recipe that appeals to you the most.

5. carrots

Carrots represent the absolute classic among horse snacks – rightly so, because carrots are extremely rich in vitamins and therefore very healthy.

Moreover, even in large quantities they are not harmful to your horse, so you don’t have to worry too much about how many carrots you feed per day.

However, the snack is not suitable for overweight horses or horses suffering from diabetes due to its high sugar content.

In this case, you should better stick to the dried rose hips 😉.
What’s the best way to feed applesauce?

Applesauce is definitely not suitable as a complete feed and should therefore – if at all – only be fed occasionally as a snack.

For particularly fussy horses, applesauce can be mixed in with their regular feed to stimulate their appetite and coax them into eating their food.

Alternatively, malt beer or beet pulp can be mixed in instead of applesauce. Especially with overweight horses or horses suffering from diabetes, you should absolutely refrain from feeding applesauce!