Thought about switching up your pet horse’s food?
Did sweet and juicy watermelons ever come to mind?
You’re in luck, as we’re just about to dig into the nitty-gritty of feeding watermelons to horses!
Is watermelon right for your pet? Are there parts of this fruit you shouldn’t feed? Read on to find out!
Can horses eat watermelon?
Yes! Horses can and love to eat watermelons.
It contains lots of water and would make a great choice, especially during the summertime.
Freezing watermelon would also give more of that cooling effect during the hot weather. Your pet will feel refreshed.
How do you feed watermelon to your horse?
You have to prepare this fruit first before feeding it to your horse.
By chopping watermelon into smaller pieces, it becomes even more comfortable for your pet to eat.
Divide the fruit into half first and take the center and seeds out.
Then, cut it into mid-sized shapes, like a banana or half of an apple.
Are there toxins in watermelon?
There are toxins in watermelon skin.
Watermelon and cucumber belong to the same fruit family, and there are toxins in cucumber peels too.
Substances like these can also be found in other fruits’ rind and seeds, usually in small amounts.
They don’t often cause harm in these quantities.
People aren’t usually too worried about eating cucumbers whole.
Most pet owners even feed cucumbers to their horses without removing the peel. Watermelon skin or rind can be pickled as well.
To be safe, make sure to wash watermelon thoroughly before cutting into it.
The outside of watermelon could have been exposed to pesticides or herbicides. Germs like bacteria may also be present on their skin.
E. coli can come in contact with the inner part of the watermelon when you cut through it.
Your horse might not react badly to this germ infected fruit because of its large size. However, it can affect you negatively.
Always wash fruits very well first before eating them or giving them to your pet.
Should horses eat watermelon skin?
Although it contains some toxins, this part of the watermelon fruit is safe for horses.
Not all horses love eating the outer skin, though. Some do, and some do not.
Some horses find a way to ignore the skin when eating the watermelon fruit.
Find out if your pet would rather have the fruit without the skin.
Experiment by feeding both options to see what your horse likes.
Do this so you don’t have to put unnecessary time and effort into preparing the watermelon.
Should you be worried about watermelon seeds?
These seeds are not suitable for your pet’s health.
They can even be harmful. A small number of seeds is nothing to worry about, though.
Seeds of fruits like apples, cherries, and peaches are more likely to damage, especially in large amounts.
When these seeds are broken down in your pet’s body, small amounts of cyanide is released.
If this continues for long, it can cause harm to a horse’s health. Be careful when feeding your horse fruits of this type.
Horses love watermelon, but its skin and seeds can only be tolerated in little amounts.
Can the sugar in watermelon harm your pet?
Plants, fruits, and vegetables naturally contain sugar. Carrots are usually given to horses in large quantities.
While they don’t taste as sweet as watermelons, they have nearly as much sugar.
Horses eat pasture too, and grasses contain sugar. Depending on the season, these may even contain more sugar than watermelons.
You may worry about the sugar content in this fruit because of its sweet taste.
However, this should not stop you from feeding it to your horse.
While watermelon does have a sweet and delightful flavor, it does not contain much sugar. The name watermelon is from “water.”
This is because it contains lots of water. About 90% of this fruit is water.
The rest, 10%, consists of minerals such as phosphorus and magnesium, pulp, and sugar.
This quantity of sugar is not harmful to your pet. Watermelon also contains vitamins A and C.
A horse usually eats lots of sugar as it feeds for the day.
If the amount of sugar in the grass becomes too much for it, it can suffer from colic or laminitis.
The sugar content in watermelon will not harm your pet if fed in the right amounts.
How much watermelon should you feed your pet?
Give your pet little amounts of watermelon.
Remember to be moderate. Giving your horse heaps of watermelon will make it colic.
Feeding watermelon in small sizes makes sense, as large quantities may choke your pet.
Let your horse enjoy the juiciness of watermelon. It is incredibly awesome when it’s summertime!
Do you feed your horse watermelon?
Think there’s something we should know?
Great! Please share your experience with us!
