If you have a horse that is easily bored or one that is a particularly picky eater, you may find yourself trying a variety of different vegetables in an attempt to keep your horse content. Once you’ve tried all the more common vegetables that horses like to eat such as apples, pears, and carrots, you may find yourself wondering whether horses can eat celery.
The good news is that not only can horses eat celery but it also contains vitamins A, B2, B6, C, and K in addition to manganese and potassium. It’s also a good source of fiber. As with everything else, feed celery to your horse in moderation as a treat or supplement to their regular diet of fresh water, hay, oats or other concentrates.
Now just because celery is healthy for horse to eat doesn’t mean that your horse will in fact, want to eat celery. Since many horses do seem to enjoy peanut butter, if you really want your horse to eat celery and they are resistant, slather a bit of peanut butter on it and see if that convinces them to try it.
Can Horses Eat Celery Leaves?
Believe it or not, horses can eat celery leaves right along with the celery stalks. Just like with any other fruit or vegetable you are planning to feed to your horse, make sure that you thoroughly wash the celery and leaves prior to letting your horse eat it for a snack. It’s also better to buy celery from a farmer’s market. Don’t assume that celery or other vegetables at a farmer’s market are free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. You must ask to be sure vegetables are grown organically, even then there’s no guarantee. If you have a green thumb, you can even grow your own so that it is completely free of chemicals and pesticides that could be harmful to your horse.
If your horse happens to love celery, you can even grow your own celery from stalks. Simply place the base of a celery stalk in warm water in a shallow dish or cup. Put the cup or dish on a window ledge where it gets sun and change the water daily. You should see regrowth in approximately five days. By growing your own celery from the stalk, you can save money and keep your horse content. If you have trouble getting new growth from your celery stalk, confirm that your original celery stalk or seed was not genetically modified and then try again.
Can Horses Eat Celery Sticks?
It’s always safer for your horse if you cut vegetables into smaller chunks that your horse can easily chew and swallow. This is especially important if you are including the vegetables in with their food rather than hand feeding it to them. If you are hand feeding something, like a celery stick, for example, you will be right there to notice if your horse has trouble chewing or swallowing for any reason. Horses can eat celery sticks but it’s probably best to break them into three or four sections if you are mixing them in with their regular feed, to decrease the likelihood they will choke.