Can Horses Eat Mushrooms?

I was drinking my coffee the other morning after a full night of rain, and as I looked out my window, I couldn’t help but notice how many mushrooms had popped up since the day before.

I always enjoyed seeing mushrooms on hikes or in my yard and find mushrooms to be delicious additions to a sauté or salad.

I have never seen a horse eat mushrooms but seeing all these mushrooms pop up in my grass made me wonder.

If a horse was grazing on a morning after heavy rain and encountered some mushrooms, what would the horse do?

Can horses eat mushrooms?

The answer is yes, horses can eat mushrooms. Mushrooms have been studied for their numerous health benefits to horses. Of course, not all mushrooms are healthy for horses. Choosing a suitable variety can be very nutritious for your horse. 

Wild mushrooms have a reputation for being deadly for those who do not correctly identify them.

In fact, many people try to keep mushrooms out of their yard to prevent small pets like dogs from accidentally getting very ill or even dying.

If wild mushrooms can be dangerous to dogs, can horses graze on wild mushrooms safely?

 

Can horses eat wild mushrooms?

Horses love sweet treats and are much more likely to deliberately choose wild berries or tree fruits than wild mushrooms.

Having said that, in the interest of safety, try to keep wild mushrooms out of your pasture in case a toxic mushroom variety happens to grow there.

You may be wondering what kinds of mushrooms are safe for horses to eat?

 

What kinds of mushrooms can horses eat?

Reishi mushrooms have been shown to have adaptogenic benefits for horses.

Adaptogens are plants that help horses (and humans) resist stressors, improve immunity, and more.

Reishi mushrooms help horses train better and more efficiently because it reduces the stress levels in the horse, allowing them to perform at a higher level.

Cordyceps mushrooms have been shown to build strength and muscle mass in horses as well as humans.

After the 1993 Chinese Olympic Team performed so well, they were accused of using drugs – but they were actually using mushrooms.

In fact, mushrooms have been used to improve the performance of racehorses for many years.

 

Do mushrooms improve digestive health?

Mushrooms, like the Reishi mushroom, have been used to help improve digestive problems with racehorses.

Racehorses notoriously suffer from ulcers.

It is thought that their intense training schedule causes the stomach acids to slosh around a lot when they run, which over time erodes the mucous layer leading to ulcers.

Whatever the cause, it seems that getting the right blend of mushrooms into the horse’s diet has improved their digestive health, leading to an improvement in performance as well.

 

Do mushrooms improve hoof health?

Horse hooves need a lot of health maintenance, as any farrier will attest.

If an owner neglects the hooves of their horse, it may lead to disfigurement or even death.

Farriers have used all manner of products to improve the health and strength of hooves, including blends of mushrooms.

 

Do mushrooms improve dental health?

Mushrooms have been used to help correct dental disease in aging horses.

As a horse ages, it can develop soft teeth, decay, and gum disease.

Mushrooms are being studied for their health benefits to dental diseases in horses in the US and Europe.

 

Do mushrooms have medicinal properties?

Yes, mushrooms have been shown to have numerous medicinal properties for horses.

They have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years.

 

How do I choose medicinal mushrooms for my horse?

Supplement companies have noticed the benefits of mushrooms for horses (and other animals, too).

They have begun to make safe mushrooms available to consumers.

You can buy the mycelium or the fruiting body portions of mushrooms, but you may wonder which should you buy or should you buy both?

The mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus.

It is thought to be less potent or beneficial than the fruiting body.

However, studies are inconclusive as to whether the fruiting body has more beneficial effects than the mycelium.

For this reason, many companies will include both in their powder formulas, allowing a synergistic benefit from having the two mushroom components included.

These supplements are available in powder and extract formulas.

The powder formulas are whole mushrooms that get ground into a fine powder.

Extracts come from boiled mushrooms, and the liquid is saved and packaged.

The mushrooms can be boiled in water or alcohol.

Some suppliers may opt for a “dual extraction” that includes a water and alcohol boil to ensure that the water-soluble and non-water-soluble compounds are collected.

Based on traditional Chinese medicine, it is thought that the extracts are best for therapeutic medicinal applications, and powders are best given for support.

 

How do I find mushroom supplements?

Suppose you are interested in using mushrooms to supplement your horse’s overall health.

In that case, you may consider looking for premade supplement powders or extracts rather than feeding mushrooms to your horse as a treat.

To find mushroom supplements, one must look to Chinese suppliers that prepare around 90% of the supply of medicinal mushrooms for horses.

Even though it may seem strange that a horse would get so many benefits from a fungus, we must remember that a wild horse’s natural diet involves grazing and foraging.

There are fungi and bacteria present in the soil, so horses are being exposed to these organisms all the time.

Providing mushrooms in a medicinal way to your horses is not unusual when we consider their natural diet.

Do, as always, be sure to introduce a new food or supplement slowly and deliberately to your horse.

Always keep an eye out for signs that your horse is having a bad reaction and contact your veterinarian immediately if anything appears wrong.