Can horses eat......

Question
I board my horse at a friends. On that property she also has rentals.  I found the kids feeding the horses bread and celery. Long story short...my friend said that was ok as the horses won't eat it anyway.  I am very concerned and want the kids to stop feeding my horse, as she could get sick or worse, the kids could get bitten.
My question is.....Can horses safely eat Celery? (I know they should not eat bread)

Marie

Answer
Hi Marie,

Thank you for your question.  Although neither celery nor bread are a horse's first choice in food, neither one poses an immediate or severe danger for your horses.  Having said that, I wouldn't suggest that it's made a habit.  I have seen bakery waste (bread, bagels, muffins, etc) fed to and eaten by horses...after all they are full of sugar, starch and fat...without causing severe metabolic disorders.  However, bakery waste can be likened to feeding starch-rich feeds and are not suitable for all horses.  Celery poses less risk to a horse and is a lot like feeding carrots.  I'm also not a fan of feeding treats to horses, but rather as a management issue than because of nutritional concerns.  

I would argue with the renters and barn owner that the kids need to stop feeding treats of any kind because it's just a matter of time before they get bitten, not to mention the bad habits it creates with many horses...causing them to instinctively nip at your hands looking for treats.  My biggest pet peeve!

I hope that helps.

Thanks, Corlena