Can Horses Eat Figs?

I was at my friend’s ranch for a cookout the other day, and I noticed she had tons of beautiful fig trees lining the property.

She keeps all sorts of animals on the ranch, but the horses roam free near the fig trees.

Knowing that horses graze in their pastures, it got me wondering if horses can eat the fruit from the fig tree or if it would make them sick.

So, can horses eat figs?

The answer is yes, horses can eat figs. Horses love all kinds of fruits, and figs are no exception. It’s advisable to limit the amount of fruit a horse eats to around one serving a day, but the important thing to note is that it is acceptable for your horse to eat figs – as long as they’re nice and ripe.

Horses are natural grazing animals and love sweet fruits, so a horse will likely pick the figs right from the tree.

 

Can horses eat rotten figs? 

Horses are drawn to sweets, but they don’t know whether a fruit is ripe or rotten.

When the figs fall off the trees if left on the ground, over time, they rot.

If a horse comes across a downed fig that has rotted, it may decide to eat the fig.

If the horse decides to do this, do not fret. Most likely, it will not harm your horse.

 

How do you prepare the figs?

Whenever you feed fruit to your horse of any kind, you’ll need to prepare it beforehand.

Be sure to wash the figs thoroughly with a produce wash that removes any pesticides.

If you can buy organic fruits for your horse, that’s even better – but still, wash them.

Whenever possible, choose the freshest fruits to give to your horse.

Check for mold or bugs either on the fruit or on the leaves.

Don’t be tempted to give your old, spoiled fruits to your horse to avoid trashing them.

You may accidentally make your horse sick, so stick to fresh, clean fruits as often as you can.

 

Can horses eat raw figs?

Yes, horses can eat raw figs.

In their raw state, figs will contain more nutrients that are beneficial to your horse.

There is nothing harmful about giving a raw fig to your horse as they may help themselves to raw figs right off the tree if they are near one.

Just always make sure to wash any raw fruit thoroughly and try to find pesticide-free fruits if you’re going to buy from the store.

 

Can horses eat cooked figs?

Cooked figs won’t harm your horse, but most fruits and vegetables will lose nutrients in the cooking process.

Figs have a lot of nutritious elements such as potassium, copper, vitamin B6 and more.

If you choose to feed figs to your horse as a treat, it’s better to give them raw.

Otherwise, they’re mostly eating sugar.

 

Can horses eat Fig Newtons?

No, don’t feed your horse Fig Newtons.

Even though figs are nutritious and healthy for a horse, Fig Newtons are a highly processed cookie, and this will not be good for your horse to eat due to the high sugar content and wheat flour contents.

 

Can I bake with figs for my horse?

If you wish to bake homemade treats for your horse, you may use figs as a binding agent in the mix.

Figs are extremely sticky and would serve as a natural sweetener as well.

Baked treats should be kept as very special treats as cooking removes many nutrients from fruits and vegetables.

However, figs in this context are safe for your horse.

 

Are figs good for horses?

Figs are highly nutritious for humans and horses.

Figs are an excellent source of potassium.

Potassium plays a vital role in heart health and blood pressure.

Figs contain a lot of soluble fiber, which helps with cholesterol levels and digestion.

There are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids present in figs that help keep a healthy heart.

Figs are rich in copper and vitamin B6. Copper is involved in metabolism and energy productions.

Vitamin B6 has a role in creating new proteins.

So, in short, yes! Figs are a great, nutritious choice of treat for your horse.

Since fruits are high in sugar, feeding too many can cause tooth decay and weight gain.

Limit fruits to 1 serving per day and try to use them as a reward to encourage desired behaviors.

 

Are fig leaves harmful to a horse?

Fig leaves have a reputation for being very irritating to human skin.

If you encounter fig leaves, you may have experienced a rash, inflammation, or itching.

The effects of fig leaves can be pretty severe in humans.

Luckily, the leaves do not tend to irritate a horse’s skin the same way as humans.

If your horse eats a fig with the leaves, it will most likely be fine.

Still, careful preparation of treats is necessary, and if you’re planning to feed figs to your horse, do be sure to remove the leaves, just in case.

In some cases, the sap from a fig tree has been known to cause burns on a horse’s lips.

Keep a lookout for this if your horse loves to get into your fig trees.

 

How do I introduce figs into my horse’s diet?

You might want to try some new fig treats with your horse but don’t know quite how to introduce them to your horse, especially if your horse is a picky eater.

Many owners have had success introducing new foods in their horse’s bran mash.

You can “hide” the new treat within the mash because it’s harder for a horse to separate it from the rest of the bran.

If you think your horse may not want to try raw figs by themselves, this may be a good solution for you.

Horses that try new treats regularly are usually less picky and more open to new foods than horses with a routine diet.

So if you want to give figs to your horse that’s never had them before, go for it.

Keep the above tips in mind, and your horse may just find its new favorite fruit.