bread can they eat it?

[solomon]

I have been meaning to ask this for a while, when i was in horses first time round- a hundred years ago! We always used to give them a bit of bread as a treat, it always went down well. I remember one xmas we iced buns and put carrot peeling letters on for their names ahhh! Is it really bad for them or is it justthe choking risk that's the problem.

[fleabitten]

I dunno - when we had horses in our field when I was wee we always fed them bread and I cant remember any harm coming to them - I personally havent fed Connie or Princess any bread but I think it would be ok as long as its in bitesize pieces and not fed too often.

[jack]

all mine get it and hasnt caused any problems

[kitcat]

My RI gives all hers bread

[racaille]

I only feed hard stale bread (except for the wormer sandwich!) I think there is a risk on the soft stuff.

[haffyfan]

I was brought up to believe it was very bad for them and could cause colic.

[rainbow]

i knew someone that alsways feed bread to her horse whole slices. nothing ever came about it to her...

[zara]

AJ loves bread and will eat a whole slice and has never come to any harm. However he never gets very much and i have heard that it can cause problems in the hind gut if fed in large quantities Zx

[spotti]

I always thought that if fed dry it could swell up in the gut (after they have a drink) and block it, causing colic.

I have seen horses being fed bread though and nothing seems to have happened to them...I guess it just depends on the horse...

[baymare]

i wouldnt feed bread to mine.bay.

[racaille]

ha ha, hard baguettes are a bit of a staple food for horses round here - not that they are fed in vast quantities. Triangle, for example, loves a few chunky slices for breakfast. I think the swelling thing is as much a myth as the dried beet old wives' tale. There's a US agricultural ministry site on feeding myths - I'll try and find it again.

[scattymare]

I'd heard the same that it can swell, but Sancys shared many of my sandwhiches in the past and not come to any harm.
Racaille what beet tale is that??

[haffyfan]

Why can sheep eat unsoaked sugar beet pellets but horses can't? Anyone know?

(sorry to change the subject...Rac/Scatty's fault! )

[racaille]

Here's the link - I thought it was utterly fascinating. I found it when I was researching our TB's choke. Read all the other myths too, they are eye-opening



www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/hrs3243

[racaille]

That link seems to be bizarre, try this


www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/hrs3243


if it doesn't work, google 'horse feeding myths' and it's the first thing to come up


darn, it's the same but it comes up if you put horse feeding myths in the search bar

[ronansmum2]

Thanks Rac, very intersting article. I like the one about not allowing them to drink after exercise, another myth it seems..

I have often thought what a shame it is to see a hot, sweaty thristy horse not being allowed to quench his thirst...and it seems it may be doing more harm than good.

[rainbow]

the link does work. u just got to copy the whole thing not just click on the blue bit.

but that site is very interesting indeed.

I think though i would still soak my sugarbeet if i was to ever use it just be on the safe side.

[haffyfan]

Me too, but intesting site rac, Thanks.

I always let mine drink if they need to when were out (Use to do endurance with previous pony who would very rarely drink when out which causes it's own problems) and have always actively encouraged it. I always walk a while afterwards to let it warm up in their stomachs but a lot of endurance riders say if it's tepid or say from a puddle that is warmed up in the sun it's okay to push on.

[racaille]

It's interesting, isn't it, how we come to make our own minds up about what suits our babies?

I, too, do semi-endurance and in this heat the poor boy needs to drink whenever he can. But I make sure he is not blowing hard and walk for a good while afterwards rather than set off at the double.

On the other hand, I never let mine drink from a puddle as water goes 'off' here very quickly or can be contaminated by wild boar pee (not a major problem for you, I guess)

[ronansmum2]

Wild boar pee?

NO - not a problem here, but plenty of puddles!!!!!!!

THEY are the problem

[scattymare]

Interesting indeed. So has anyone ever tried dried sugar beet?
I think it's been so drummed in to me that it MUST be soaked that I would still be too scared to do otherwise - the article totally makes sense though as to why you can feed it not soaked.

[brigadier]

Baileys no 1 is basically bread crumbs I believe. I feed bread as treats but not as a meal.

Great article- I must admit I often wondered about beet pulp etc so found it really interesting!

[maximum]

Mar 3, 2009 21:11:14 GMT haffyfan said:

Why can sheep eat unsoaked sugar beet pellets but horses can't? Anyone know?

(sorry to change the subject...Rac/Scatty's fault! )

sheep and cattle have multiple tummies as opposed to the one that horses have