Are horses allowed to eat cranberries?

Cranberries are delicious and refreshing and also get many important vitamins and nutrients.

So the ideal feed for horses?

In this article you will learn whether horses can eat cranberries and what important points you should consider when feeding them.

Are horses allowed to eat cranberries?

Yes, horses can eat cranberries, because they contain many vitamins that are very healthy for horses. In addition, the fruits contain a variety of minerals, bitter substances as well as various trace elements.

However, the tart and sour taste of the fruit can make your horse not want to eat the cranberries.

However, if you are lucky enough not to be put off by this, your horse’s urinary tract as well as mucous membranes can benefit, as the vitamin C contained as well as the flavonoids promote well-being in these areas.

It should be said that cranberries are never suitable as a stand-alone feed, but rather should be a small snack that your horse can additionally benefit from.

Why are cranberries good for horses?

Cranberries are very healthy for horses because they contain many important nutrients. In addition, the fruits are small and are therefore ideal to feed as a small snack in between meals.

Due to their very special taste, there are some horses that immediately spit out cranberries or don’t even want to try them.

If you still want to feed cranberries to your horse, you can also use cranberry meal as an alternative. Thanks to its consistency, it can be mixed excellently with your pet’s food.

However, you should be careful not to feed cranberries to horses that are overweight or suffer from diabetes.

For every 100 g of dried cranberries, there are 70 g of sugar!

So that you can still give your horse a treat, we would like to give you a few alternatives in the next section so that you can find the ideal snack for your horse.

What alternatives are there to cranberries?

In this section we will introduce you to three alternatives that you can feed your horse as a snack without hesitation.

Of course, we will provide you with all the important information on the individual snacks. However, always make sure that you do not overdo it with the quantity, because a snack should always remain a snack and not be a complete feed.

1. celery

This healthy vegetable makes an excellent daily snack, as it is not only extremely healthy, but also promotes intestinal activity. Don’t be surprised if your horse suddenly has to pee more often than before, because celery has diuretic properties.

So, if you notice that your horse has to urinate more often, this fact is not a cause for concern.

Cut the celery into small pieces to use as a reward during training, or simply add the celery to the feed.

2. carrots

Carrots are probably the absolute all-rounder among snacks for horses. They are healthy even in large quantities and are excellent to cut into small pieces and use as tasty training snacks.

However, you should keep in mind that carrots can have a laxative effect, which can lead to problems with colic-prone horses.

In this case, you should only feed very small amounts or avoid this snack altogether. Of course, this is especially true for horses that have just had colic!

Due to the high sugar content, you should also only feed small amounts of carrots to overweight horses.

3. parsley

Is your horse suffering from chronic stress, which is already having a negative effect on your pet’s stomach?

Then you could occasionally feed him a little parsley. Parsley is very healthy for horses, as it has both diuretic and flatulence-reducing effects.

Parsley also has a cramping and labor-relieving effect. If you have a pregnant mare, you should definitely refrain from feeding parsley.

In all other cases, however, parsley is a snack that has many health benefits for your four-legged friend.
What is the best way to feed cranberries?

The best way to feed cranberries to your horse is in dried form or as a meal.

If your four-legged friend likes the cranberries so much that he eats them pure, there is nothing to stop him from using the fruit as a training snack.

However, make sure that you feed too few rather than too many cranberries, as an overdose can have a negative effect on your horse’s digestion.

But don’t worry, if you do feed a few too many fruits, your horse won’t drop dead immediately and there will be no long-term consequences.

FAQ – frequently asked questions

1. my horse does not like cranberries. Is a species-appropriate diet still possible?

Yes, a horse is not dependent on the feeding of cranberries. So feel free to try out whether your horse eats the cranberries you offer.

If it does not, then just opt for another healthy snack, your horse will not be harmed by it.
2) What happens if I feed my horse too many cranberries?

Since cranberries contain a relatively high amount of acid, overfeeding can lead to diarrhea and/or an upset stomach.

In this case, it is advisable not to feed cranberries for the next few days until digestion has settled down again.

After that, of course, you should be careful not to feed more than a handful of cranberries or 1 tablespoon of cranberry meal per 100 kg of horse weight per day to avoid a relapse.
3 Which is healthier for horses? Cranberries or cranberry meal?

Since cranberries, as mentioned earlier, have a very intense flavor of their own that many horses do not like, cranberry meal is a good alternative to cranberries.

These are ground fruits, which are easier to digest and due to the fact that the meal can be mixed well into the feed, it does not taste quite as intense.

However, there are no differences here in terms of the health factor.