Flour and pumpkins - safe for horses to eat?

[DancingArabian]

I did several google searches and found mixed responses!

1. Can horses eat pumpkin? Regular orange pumpkins. I went to the pumpkin patch on their free pumpkin day and I went a little overboard so now I have way more than I really need, LOL! If horses can eat pumpkin can they eat the whole thing - stringy bits and seeds and all or should I gut the pumpkin before feeding it? Should I restrict the amount?

2. Can horse eat flour? If so, what kind? I would like to make some horse treats soon for small gifts. I’m specifically looking at the stud muffin/german horse treat copycat recipes, and they all call for flour, but I want to be sure it’s really okay before I move forward. Especially since I would like to gift them! (All gifts would be labeled with all ingredients as well)

[JB]

Yes to pumpkins. They are healthy, good for them. Just don’t toss them a whole pumpkin for 1 horse. You can toss the whole thing in pieces, though I’m sure they will appreciate having the guts - seeds and all - scooped out for them.

Flour is safe. It’s just some part or all of a grain, and grains are safe. Flour makes a good binding agent for treats, though aren’t always necessary.

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Pumpkin seeds are supposed to be good for horses and humans but I’ve never toasted any and eaten them nor have I given them to my horses.

[tazycat]

My horse’s won’t touch pumpkin.Or any kind of horse treats. Peppermints and Apple’s, anything else and they aren’t interested in it.

[DancingArabian]

Thanks!

These pumpkins are small - maybe a couple pounds each at most. But I will dole them out in smaller chunks.

[Sparrowette]

I thought you wanted to feed your horse pumpkin pie…

[DancingArabian]

@Sparrowette

I thought you wanted to feed your horse pumpkin pie…

LOL! No. Snobby thing probably wouldn’t eat it anyway.

[ChestnutArabianMare]

My friend had a horse that knew how to stomp on and break apart pumpkins so she could eat them (under supervision). She did the same thing with watermelon.

[PintoPony]

Flour is fine, in fact many horses like bread.

The horse I had when I was a kid was a big fan of bread. PB and jelly sandwiches were his favorite.

[trubandloki]

@PintoPony

Flour is fine, in fact many horses like bread.

My horses will second the thought that bread is very yummy!

[2DogsFarm]

@ChestnutArabianMare

My friend had a horse that knew how to stomp on and break apart pumpkins so she could eat them (under supervision). She did the same thing with watermelon.

Where was she the year I planted Cinderella (HUGE 30#ers!) pumpkins right next to my fenceline & they sprawled into the pasture?
“Goody!” I thought “The horses can eat them!”
NOT! :no:

Gorgeous big pumpkins just lay rotting, except for the occasional one that got stomped on, but not eaten :rolleyes:
Same for the year I planted 15 zucchini (WHAT was I thinking?) in the same location.

[JB]

@2DogsFarm

Same for the year I planted 15 zucchini (WHAT was I thinking?) in the same location.

:lol: :lol: :lol: Seriously - were you planning on feeding a not-small country?

I feel neglected that I can’t grow zukes well here - the squash bugs let me get maybe a dozen before they kill the plants :mad: This year I did have resounding success with Matume squash though - lovely things. But you can’t make zoodles from them

[2DogsFarm]

:uhoh: @JB I got a ton of seeds free at a Seed Exchange - not only standard zukes, but a light grayish-green variety & banana squash that got ginormous < think “baseball bat”

Planted them in the spot I lazily toss manure over the fenceline, thinking WTH, if they grow, they grow…
So, of course, they grew like K-Razy :eek:
Murphy’s Law of Gardening :rolleyes:

By the end of the Summer people were running when I approached, bearing shopping bags filled with squash.
Only the food pantry I volunteer at was still happy.

[hosspuller]

@2DogsFarm

:uhoh: @JB snip

By the end of the Summer people were running when I approached, bearing shopping bags filled with squash.
Only the food pantry I volunteer at was still happy.

The original perpetrator of the drive-by Zucchini :lol: Squash-ed … whether or not you want them

[2DogsFarm]

@hosspuller You shoulda seen me trying to give away giant pumpkins! :dead:

[walktrot]

TheHorse.com had an article about pumpkins. There is a recipe at the end for treats.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/36628/can-horses-eat-pumpkin

[demidq]

My veg garden was beside the paddock, bored young gelding LOVED zuchini, the bigger the better. He played soccer, stomped them and then ate them. I am sure your horse could deal with a small pumpkin. Maybe break the first one, then see what she does with the next.