Can Horses Eat Oranges?

My family and I took a holiday to Spain recently to a private villa, and we were lucky enough to have an orange tree on the villa.

We were enjoying fresh oranges all week and, naturally, our minds went to our horses back home.

We’d never really fed them on citrus fruits before, so we got talking about whether they would like oranges and whether they would be safe for them.

We assumed they would like them but also wondered if the citrus would be too bitter.

So, when I got home, I decided to look into it.

So, can horses eat oranges?

Yes, horses love citrus fruits and they can even eat the whole thing, skin and all! Oranges are rich in plenty of nutrients that are really important for horses, and so they make a great treat for your horse. Moderation is always key as they are very high in sugar, but oranges make a great addition to their diet.

Horses can be pickier than you might imagine, but not when it comes to citrus fruit.

They love anything citrusy.

They do need a primarily dry, fibrous diet, which will come mostly from hay.

Fresh fruits should only represent a small part of their diet, as I said.

With that in mind, oranges will make a wonderful treat and provide many necessary nutrients.

What are the benefits of oranges for horses?

Oranges are packed with healthy nutrients that benefit horses just as well as us.

Many foods are inflammatory and can trigger long-term problems like heart disease and diabetes.

Oranges have the opposite effect, being anti-inflammatory, and will help your horse to feel better straight away and in the long term.

Horses also need a high fiber diet, and oranges have plenty of that.

Fiber keeps the bowels healthy and horse cholesterol at healthy levels.

Fiber can also slow the digestion of sugar, very helpful in sugary fruit like oranges.

Calcium is an essential mineral and keeps our bones, organs, and muscles strong, and there’s plenty of it in oranges.

Oranges are also rich in potassium, which lowers blood pressure.

While sugar is one thing that can be an issue if overfed, in small enough quantities the sugar is just as important a part of your horse’s diet as fiber is.

Raw oranges are better for this, as dried oranges contain a lot more sugar.

Finally, citric acids and nitrates reduce the risk of kidney stones as they prevent them from forming in the first place.

So, oranges are packed with healthy nutrients for you and your horse.

Can horses eat citrus fruit?

Citrus fruits in general are a great option for your horse, and only present the common problem that too many of any would probably be too much sugar for your horse.

Most citrus fruits contain all the vitamins and minerals previously mentioned, in varying quantities.

Horses can even eat citrus peel, be it orange, lemon, or lime.

They love the whole fruit, seeds and all.

The seeds in small quantities are certainly not harmful, although not much research has been done into the effects of large quantities.

I think it’s fairly common sense.

Too much of anything will certainly be bad for your horse, so don’t give it too much of any citrus fruit.

What about citrus trees?

Orange trees, lemon trees, lime trees?

Most parts of it are safe, although in general the fruit is the only part they’ll be interested in.

Horses aren’t interested in tree bark usually, and the oils found in the bark can be irritating to the skin.

The leaves of the tree, equally, are very bitter, and can cause digestive issues and colic in lemon leaves.

Horses, again, will tend to avoid them, so if you do have a citrus tree on your property, you don’t have anything to worry about.

Make sure they don’t eat absolutely all the fruit off it, though.

The only other caveat is that lemon trees, unlike other citrus trees, do have thorns.

Again, in general, horses are smart enough to avoid these trees, but it is worth keeping in mind.

Can I give my horse orange juice?

On a hot summer’s day, you might even whip up a little fruit salad for your horses with some chilled orange juice.

Again, you should keep it small, but a bowl of fruit with some orange juice would be a great, cooling treat for your horses.

Orange juice, depending on the type (and amount), will be higher in sugar than an actual orange, so again you should keep this in mind.

They would, in general, prefer whole oranges to juice, but it may be a very nice way to help them cool off in the warmer months.

So, citrus fruit of all kinds makes a brilliant, healthy treat for your horses.

Oranges in particular are packed with all sorts of vitamins and minerals that protect cells from damage, boost horse immune systems and even help the body heal wounds.

Oranges are a tasty, healthy option for your horse that they will love—just always remember the key is moderation.

A little bit will go a long way!