Can Horses Eat Broccoli?

I agreed to help a friend of mine with his allotment on a recent Saturday morning, where he grows all sorts of impressive vegetables.

One thing he had a lot of was broccoli, and we both own horses so naturally our conversation gravitated towards which parts of his vegetable garden horses would like and which they wouldn’t like as much.

We had a long conversation and agreed that most vegetables are probably safe for a horse, but nonetheless I decided to do some research and look into it.

So, can horses eat broccoli?

Yes, broccoli is considered a great snack for horses, though you shouldn’t feed them more than 2 ounces a day. Any more than that could cause gastrointestinal issues. Broccoli is loaded with all the necessary nutrients that horses need to function properly, so they are a fantastic option as a treat for horses.

Broccoli should not be considered or given as a whole meal, but should supplement the rest of the horse’s diet, which should be mostly hay or grass.

Broccoli is so rich in vitamins and minerals that even big horses only need to eat relatively small amounts of it to get all they need out of it.

As I said, 1-2 ounces is probably the upper limit, although somewhere in the region of two ounces a day would be ideal.

It’s still advisable to mix it with grains and other vegetables.

Is broccoli safe for horses?

Broccoli is perfectly safe for horses in the right amounts, and has a long list of healthy vitamins and minerals contained within which will help your horse.

Broccoli is high in calcium, which horses use, just like us, for the integrity of their skeleton and the strength of their bones.

Calcium deficiency can cause very serious problems in big, bulky animals like horses.

They need all the support they can possibly get.

Phosphorous is also present in broccoli, which horses also need for their skeleton and for their enzyme system to be working at full capacity.

Research shows horses need about 14g of phosphorous per day.

Broccoli is also a great source of zinc, which helps horses keep their skin and hooves healthy.

Zinc also helps to metabolize carbohydrates and protein.

Iron, too, is present in good amounts in broccoli, which produces healthy red blood cells and supply oxygen to the whole body.

Potassium, finally, is found in large quantities in broccoli, and helps muscle and nerve function, among other things.

Broccoli is also rich in countless vitamins, such as thiamine which helps converting carbs into energy.

Niacin helps in the whole-body function and in repairing DNA.

Riboflavin aids overall growth.

Vitamins A, K, D, E, B6 and B12 vitamins are all present in broccoli in significant quantities, and serve a wide variety of purposes and promote a healthy horse.

The only potential problem that broccoli can cause in large quantities is gas and digestive discomfort.

You should be way of this, as there are a few vegetables in this family which have been known to cause issues.

Moderation, as I said, is key.

Can horses eat raw broccoli?

Broccoli, as I said, should always be fed in careful moderation.

Raw broccoli should be fine for your horse, but you should always monitor how your horse reacts when you give it a new food.

One potential problem with broccoli is that as it breaks down in the gut, it can cause a lot of excess gas, which can be very uncomfortable for your horse.

But what about raw vs cooked?

Which is the best way to feed broccoli to your horse?

In general, raw vegetables are better than cooked.

When raw, the broccoli is crunchy and fresh, and hasn’t been seasoned or soaked in oil.

And raw broccoli is certainly safe for your horse, again, with strict moderation in mind.

After all, horses in the wild wouldn’t have any way to cook the food they find, so naturally, they’re much more used to it in raw form.

This is a good rule of thumb for any vegetable that you want to feed to your horse; it’s likely to be better if fed raw.

Can horses eat cooked broccoli?

That said, there’s nothing necessarily terrible about feeding your horse cooked broccoli, but there’s also no particularly good reason to do so.

They will much prefer it in raw form, and it will be much healthier for them.

One way I often get a bit of extra fruit and veg into my horse’s diet is by gathering up leftovers in the compost and giving it to them.

So, sometimes, this could mean cooked veg.

You just have to be very careful about what your veg has been cooked in, because very often, we use herbs and spices that are dangerous for horses.

That said, the best way to get veg to your horses is fresh and raw.

So, broccoli is not without its potential problems, but in small amounts it’s so loaded with healthy nutrients that it makes a great snack for your horses.

Anything in quantities too large would be dangerous, and broccoli is no exception.

You should always be careful with feeding your horse a new food, and always introduce it slowly and carefully.

Observe how your horse reacts, and whether it seems to be having any discomfort later on.

Moderation is always the key.