Vegetables

[april89]

At the minute we are giving Tunder treats in the form of sections of carrots as they are convenient and seem like they would be relatively healthy but as the spring grass in now well and truly coming through I wanted to check if they are ok or if they are high in sugar. They seem quite watery to me compared to apple which I imagine would be worse but thats why I'm asking really.

Are there any vegetables that I should try to use few of and are there any vegetables that are best to use as small treats or should I just use a few pasture nuts instead?

Thanks in advance. :)

[vikkig]

i feed my horse all sorts of veg apart from potatoes as starch is bad and can cause colic. he goes mad for the bottom of a cauliflour. he loves parsnip and turnip.

i feed loads of carrots also he gets loads with his tea. i know they are better for them than apples but he gets loads of them also

not sure if this helped :(

[puzzles]

Carrots are not significantly high in sugar - not enough to cause concern with regards to Laminitis etc. They have a very hgih water content and contain fibre and some vitamins so I would carry on feeding them!

You can use all sorts:

- carrots
- apples
- suedes
- turnips
- bananas
- cucumber
- tomatoes and citrus fruits such as oranges, if your horse enjoys them
- pears
- cabbage and lettuce ...

And also natural herbs for a treat or daily boost in his feed, such as:

- nettles
- dandelions
- thistles
- hawthorne
- clover
- garlic ...

But not onions (contain a poisonous chemical) or lots of potatoes due to their high starch content, as already said.

:-)

[Skippys Mum]

Sorry Puzzles but I've been warned about feeding lots of carrots to a laminitic pony. Apparently they are quite high in sugar. I may be wrong here but better safe than sorry:)

My littlest ponys favourite thing in the world is a soggy bruised pear:D

[Kis Vihar]

Hi there! Glad to hear you want to give Tunder lots of treats! ;):D I used to as well, when she had been good!

I used to use 'Bazis' which are small pellets, like Hungarian equivalent of grass nuts, as her treats! (and the occasional sugar lump - I know, :rolleyes: a bit naughty!!) She also had carrots here, and the occasional apple, but never more than the odd slice or 2, here and there, as rewards. Have you tried her with a parsnip yet as we don't have them in Hungary!!!! She may well have never tried one!! All our 'English' horses loved them!

Basically, I'll try any fruit or veg, EXCEPT potatoes, but everything in moderation! My friend's mare loved mandarin oranges (peeled first of course;)!)

Give her a treat from me!:D

(...for anyone who wonders what the hell I'm running on about, I was Tunder's old mummy!!!!) :)

And please hug her for me!! K

[Kis Vihar]

Hey Skippy's Mum - My littlest old pony, now in the 'big paddock in the sky' bless her, LOVED squishy, bruised and gooey pears too! Towards the end she had bad teeth, and the grossest pears that went 'splat' in her feed bowl and didn't need chewing were licked up as fast as she could!! Fond memories! :)

[chewitmonster]

I have also been told that carrots are deceptively high in sugar and so you should be careful. In the summer silver doesn't get fruit or veg except the odd apple core from me in his tea. He gets a snack ball with some lucerne pellets in which are free from sugar. In the winter he gets a couple of carrots in the ball and an apple in his tea. I'm cutting down his tea amounts now and i'm going to cut down on his fruit and veg soon now too.

I also have some puramint pellets that are free from sugar that I can use for variety so he doesn't feel hard done by.

Naturally though rosehips are good for them too :)

[puzzles]

Sorry Puzzles but I've been warned about feeding lots of carrots to a laminitic pony. Apparently they are quite high in sugar. I may be wrong here but better safe than sorry:)

That's interesting as a nutritionist initiated that they were safe. But every little effort really does count and I see the sense in being careful about feeding them to Laminatics.

:)

[nemolucy]

I read in a magazine that carrots are like rocket fuel to ponies:confused:
Doesn't stop me feeding them to mine though!!!:rolleyes:

[Portia]

Out of the commonest veg fed to horses, turnips have the lowest sugar content, followed by swede, carrot then apple. Can't quote exact gram per 100g of veg, but if you do a search the facts are available.

[kturner]

i was also told no carrots. but I give him 2 small carrots OR 1/2 apple every third day. more for my head that his stomach!! his polo's are sugar free as well. only twice a week. 2 each time.