Feeding Treats to Horses – Can Your Horse Eat Pumpkin?

Before You Feed Any Horse Treat

• There are three things to consider before feeding your horse any tasty snack. Is the snack or any of its ingredients toxic? Even a little bit? Will this horse treatment interfere with a medical condition? Knowing your horse’s health status helps you find the safest equine diet. Lastly, can you safely feed this new goody so your horse won’t choke, experience digestive issues, or worse?  

• Orange pumpkins are non-toxic for horses. Other varietals can be dangerous.

• Pumpkins, even as an occasional treat, may interfere with certain conditions, such as HYPP. 

• And lastly, if you remember the principle of “smaller pieces, small amounts,” these tasty holiday snacks are great for your horse. Too much pumpkin gets risky, especially for horses with digestive issues.

More on choke in horses here. 

Pumpkin Has Several Benefits

• It’s always best to talk to your equine nutritionist about adding pumpkin to a diet.

• Pumpkin is generally safe for horses with metabolic issues, such as Cushing’s, Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), Insulin Resistance, and PSSM, the “tying up” condition.

• Pumpkins are high in potassium, so avoid giving your horse with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) any pumpkin as a treat. Horses with HYPP have a genetic muscle disorder that causes weakness and muscle shaking. It’s related to how sodium and potassium interact in the body, and higher potassium levels in the diet can trigger an episode. Unfortunately, many horses also develop paralysis and may collapse from this condition.

• Pumpkins have high water content, which is excellent for hydration, but not a replacement for clean, fresh water.

• The sugar content does not cause a fast increase in your horse’s blood glucose when fed in smaller amounts. They are likely safer than carrots, apples, and many molasses-based horse goodies. The little extra sugar given in small treats should be okay.

• This unusual treat is a good source of fiber. The fiber aids in digestion because it contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.

• If it’s off-season, you can find this yummy treat smashed up in a can. However, cans with added preservatives, sugars, and salt should not be fed.

Tips for Feeding Pumpkin to Horses

• Chop up the pumpkin into pieces! Make the pieces small and easily chewable to avoid choking hazards. If you let your horse snack on the seeds, consider the potential mess of chewy pieces mixed with stringy slime.  Sure, it’s adorable to see a hippo crunch a big piece of fruit, but horses are not designed to eat that way.  

• Limit the quantity of pumpkin given. Anything more than a cupful or two a day may give your horse a bellyache and trigger some colic. This is true for about anything new you give your horse. Try to resist the urge to toss a few pumpkins into his pen for rollie-pollie snack time and go for a handful or two. 

• There are potential risks when offering part of or a whole pumpkin that is starting to sag, get soft, or begin to mush. Fresh food is best! Throw those saggy ones in the compost bin instead and see how many new orange babies show up next fall. It’s a perfect way to grow your own seasonal treat.

• A carved Halloween decoration may have candle wax spilled or mold starting to grow inside, which can lead to the presence of harmful toxins. And leave the stalk out of it, too. This ridiculously hard-to-chew part is just an episode of choke waiting to happen.

• Other pumpkin family members, like gourds, can be toxic to horses. If you are unsure what type of fall treat you have, better not feed it, just in case. Stick to the orange pumpkin variety. 

• Watch your horse for any adverse reactions, like hives, which could indicate an allergic reaction.

Can a Horse Eat Pumpkin to Clear Sand in Their Gut? 

• I stumbled upon a thread of horse owners discussing the removal of sand from a horse’s gut and colic prevention, with pumpkins as the solution. Someone recalled a story about an older farmer who fed pumpkins, and his horses never had sand colic. I have a few thoughts about this.

• There is no evidence to support this. AT ALL.  

• Many horses eat carrots, apples, store-bought treats, bananas, and many other types of goodies that have never had a sand colic or any issues with a sandy gut. A horse eating something and not having a sandy gut doesn’t mean what they eat removes sand. 

• Many equine friends who have colicked or have sandy guts eat pumpkin.

• When in doubt, consult your vet about any concerns you have regarding sand and gastrointestinal irritation.

Make Pumpkin Treats for Horses at Home

• Horses can eat pumpkin-flavored horse treats that are not as messy as the real thing! Ready-made pumpkin treats are also longer-lasting and easier to store. 

• If you love homemade horse treats, try making some at home. The recipe is largely “experimental,” allowing you to test flavors your horse likes. You will need:

• Pumpkin – but cook it down until it’s mashable.

• Oats or some other less-mushy ingredient, like some of your horse’s pellets.

• Maybe some molasses or banana if you need additional “glue.”

• Mix everything, shape into small balls or circles, and bake at a lower temperature, around 300-350 degrees, for about 15-20 minutes. Bake with love, not exact instructions, and you’ll have an excellent treat.

Support your horse’s balanced diet by limiting any treats, in an effort to avoid too much sugar and GI distress. However, small, appropriate amounts of pumpkin are a nice way to give your horse some essential vitamins, but don’t rely on pumpkin to fill out your horse’s diet. Just like any new food, spread out this treat over the course of the day. And make sure you are feeding clean pumpkin flesh, and not holiday leftovers.