Can horses have broccoli?
Matthew Wilson
Updated on January 04, 2026
The list of vegetables he can have in smaller, snack-size quantities reads like a plateful of stuff kids won't eat, but your horse might: collard greens, chard, kale, broccoli, turnips, spinach and radishes.
Why can't horses eat broccoli?
Broccoli has numerous health benefits for horses, but it can be dangerous since it produces intestinal gas.What vegetables can horses not eat?
Vegetables like garlic and onions are members of the family of plants called the “allium” family. (The allium family of plants also includes chives, shallots and leeks.) These plants should generally be avoided by horses because they can damage red blood cells and lead to sickness.What vegetables can horses have?
Horses enjoy celery, corn, lettuce, squash, sweet potatoes, and turnips. Vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, too. For example, carrots are high in Vitamin A and celery is a good source of Vitamin K. Feeding these items in limited quantities is fine and your horse may actually enjoy the variety!What foods should horses avoid?
Here are some “people” foods you should avoid feeding your horse:
- Caffeine: Coffee, tea and cola contain the stimulant caffeine (trimethylxanthine) which can cause an irregular heart rhythm.
- Chocolate: ...
- Garlic and onions: ...
- Tomatoes: ...
- Fruit seeds and pits: ...
- Dog and cat kibble: ...
- Potatoes: ...
- House plants:
Ask the Vet - Safe fruits and vegetables for horses
What is toxic to horses?
Weeds: Onions/garlic, ground ivy, milkweed, bracken fern, cocklebur, horsetail, white snakeroot, St. Johns wort, star-of-Bethlehem, sorghum/sudangrass, yellow sweet clover, blue-green algae, bouncing bet, larkspur, mayapple, skunk cabbage. Trees: Black locust, oak (green acorns), horse chestnut, boxwood, holly.Can horses eat cucumbers?
Yes, horses can eat cucumbers – a welcome answer to those of you with an overabundance of cucumbers growing in your gardens. Cucumbers are a fantastic source of vitamins such as A, K, and C, as well as potassium. What's more, cucumber skin provides horses with a natural dietary fibre.What food calms horses?
Fibrous feeds that are fermented in the hindgut to release energy are the most natural and also the 'coolest' sources of energy for horses. Using forages like pasture, hay, and chaff to provide the majority of the energy in your horse's diet will help to keep your horse calm and responsive.Can you give a horse a full Apple?
Fruit in Large QuantitiesMany of us like to feed our horses apples as treats. But excessive amounts of fruit can become too much of a good thing. A belly full of apples or any other fruit can cause colic or other complications. 1 You probably should not feed your horse more than one or two pieces of fruit.