Everyone knows that horses love eating fruits like pears, strawberries, and melons but do you know if horses can eat blueberries? For all those horse owners with this question, we’ll answer this in detail.
So, can horses eat blueberries? Yes, blueberries are safe for horses to consume, and as much as they love other fruits, they love blueberries. The properly ripened berries with a great source of vitamins are perfect treats for horses. Cut each berry in half, peel off the pit and extract the stem and it’s ready to be fed.
All types of berries taste delicious and are rich in Vitamin A & C. Feeding horses different kinds of fruits on occasion give them a bit of variation and fills them with many essential nutrients. Still, to treat horses appropriately, one must understand their dietary pattern. This post will only discuss that matter with you.
There still exist various types of myths about feeding fruits to horses. Which is very unfortunate to believe. All the custodians of animals must have realized this fact by now. But, yes, some fruits are harmful to different animals.
Horses are no exception to that. Although a big range of fruits can be fed to them, still a few are not approved.
Nutrition facts of blueberries
Native to North America, these wild blueberries have been utilized since historical times to prepare different kinds of feasts.
The flavor blends well with quite a few dishes, especially desserts, where it is used popularly for many items. It moreover makes a terrific option for garnishes as the deep blue color works handily to elevate simple presentations.
The Native Americans have always referred to it as star berries, and it was supposed to be a gift from the Great Spirit.
Blueberries are a great source of nutrients. Eating them once in a while could prove to be beneficial for both animals and humans. Here’s listing out the amazing properties that make it a great treat for horses.
Excellent Source of Antioxidants
Blueberries are a bootstrapper of antioxidants, especially anthocyanin, which provides its deep blue color and benefits in eliminating free radicals from the blood, thereby preserving the body from cultivating various diseases, including cancer.
Research says that blueberries have the greatest antioxidant capacity among all generally eaten fruits and vegetables.
And its normal consumption is found not just to support the cardiovascular system but also to defend against neurodegenerative diseases and digestive illnesses.
Improves Immunity
Resveratrol in red grapes and pterostilbene in blueberries could alleviate & boost the human and animal immune system by increasing the energy of a gene called cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP gene, which is implicated in immune function.
The inherent immune response is particularly significant as many antibiotics increasingly forfeit their cogency. Also, the flavonoids present in blueberries have anti-inflammatory properties and can considerably lessen the danger of catching the bacterial disease.
Prevent Damage of a High Fat Diet
Eating wild blueberries can lessen the unfavorable impacts of a high-fat diet. Wild blueberries or bilberries are tinier than the usual blueberries and more acidic.
Wild blueberries were shown to have useful effects on both blood pressure and nutrition-deprive inflammation. Low-grade inflammation and heightened blood pressure are frequently correlated with obesity-related disorders.
Big Source of Vitamins, Minerals, and Fiber
Blueberries are a huge source of vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin C. It is moreover low on sugar content. Just one cup of blueberries is said to contain almost15 grams of sugar, which is equal to a small apple, and its bioactive solvents nullify the abolition effect of the sugar. Blueberries are a delicious source of dietary fiber as well and support in digestion too.
Different Ways Of Feeding Blueberries To Horses
After reading all these great nutrition facts on blueberries, you might want to feed some to your horse. In that case, it’s better if you know the ways and proportion of feeding berries to horses. Although berries will be eaten without a tantrum by horses, there are a few innovative ways for that.
Whenever you treat them with any sort of fruit, the most important thing is that you know the limit. Giving them treats in variation will keep them excited for every upcoming treat.
- You can give them small pieces of berries cut into half. They love the natural flavor & texture of it.
- Mix them with chia seeds, other types of seeds or oats. That will be a great delight.
- Go for blueberry biscuits sometimes. There are blueberry biscuits for horses in the market, which they very much enjoy.
- You can always mix them with apples, bananas, and other fruits that they enjoy.
- Another great option would be frozen blueberries. Horses and many other animals love their treats frozen.
These are pretty much the variations you can use. You can put the great number of nutrients of berries into your horse by treating them occasionally with wild or normal blueberries.
Your horse has not had acres of unimproved land to scour, as he would in a wild environment. There he would chew flowers, seeds, edible weeds, and fruits from vines and trees. It is a part of your job as horse owners or caretakers to uphold their ho-hum diets with extra nutrients from fresh foods.
Yes, there are whole food supplements in the market, great ones. But why not add the fruit that tastes a lot better and is full of antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients that can significantly impact your horse’s health?
Impact Of Fruits In Horses’ Digestive System
A horse’s digestive system is very delicate. The best method to use when feeding fruits is to feed them in little amounts. They are incredible to be given as treats only! Furthermore, be sure to wash & scrub all fruits before feeding them to your horse. It doesn’t matter how much your horse loves fruits, never feed them frequently.
Too much fruit consumption would create an imbalance in their digestive system and may result in colic or another serious condition. Feeding excessive fruits, vegetables, or any kind of treatment will improve the number of calories your horse infusions, and this may ensue in unwanted weight gain.
Feeding horses chunks of food may inflict your horse to choke. The worst thing about this is a horse cannot throw up or vomit. Food that gets caught in a horse’s esophagus can result in extremes. If the horse is incapable of dislodging the item of food by itself, it will be essential to instantly contact your veterinarian.
Unsafe Foods For Horses
Not every food has its best effect on horses. That leaves no choice but to prevent horses from eating them. These fruits are completely not safe for your horse to eat.
Persimmons, rhubarb, and any foods are included. Also, avocado & any oil-related to avocado is a big no-no for them.
All the treats mentioned above can be fed by hand or by arranging them in a bucket or feed trough. Few horses that are hand-fed tend to become frigid; others have decent manners.
Utilizing a bucket is possibly safest, but if you wish to feed by hand, use your palm and think about tugging it slightly toward the horse’s mouth rather than rescinding your hand as he comes toward it.
This inadvertent action by the owner is frequently what affects horses to lunge for the treat. Never get them in the habit of feeding treats every day, and don’t allow your horse a treat regularly, such as after each task in the ring.
If he starts to anticipate a treat at a specific time and doesn’t receive it, you may be imploring for transgression.
You should be gentle with your horse but do restrict their treats to keep them at their best behavior. Animals are what you make them be.
Hence, it is your job to look after their health properly. With all this information provided, we’re sure that you’ll do a good job.