Can Horses Eat Rose Hips? (Are Rose Hips Safe For Horses?)

We’ve had some rose bushes in our garden for a while near our horse pasture, and they usually leave it alone.

The other day, however, I noticed they had converged on them, and I could see they were grazing on something.

I went over to see what it was and saw that they were eating the rose hips that were growing on the plant.

I was a bit worried at first, since I didn’t know if it was safe, but I trusted them and went off to do my research.

So, can horses eat rose hips?

Yes, rose hips are totally safe for horses and are in fact packed with lots of health benefits that your horses will appreciate. They are rich in antioxidants, which prevent the formation of free radicals. Your horse shouldn’t eat a huge quantity, but it will love a small amount.

Rose hips are a great treat for your horse, then.

They shouldn’t really be a regular part of their diet, except in small quantities.

They are so nutrient-rich that a horse’s relatively simple digestive system only needs a few to get all the benefits it needs out of it.

Let’s look further into this question.

Are rose hips good for horses?

In many ways, yes, they are.

As I mentioned, one of the best things about rose hips is the quantity of antioxidants in them.

Antioxidants neutralize what’s known as free radicals.

Free radicals are essentially compounds in the body with unstable atoms.

These can cause all sorts of damage and illness in many animals, including us and horses.

Antioxidants stop free radicals from forming, and so protect the body against this kind of damage.

The other good thing about rose hips is that most horses will really enjoy them as a treat.

A horse’s diet can get pretty bland, so changing it up with different treats is a really good way to keep from getting bored.

However, moderation is still really important.

The very fact that they are so nutrient rich is part of the reason for this.

Overconsuming them would not take much, so you’ve got to be careful how much you give them.

Rose hips should never replace their ordinary diet.

Once or twice a week is a good amount to feed your horses rose hips.

Are rose hips poisonous?

No, rose hips are not poisonous.

You’d be forgiven for thinking they were; most berries that look like that are not usually safe to eat.

But rose hips are totally safe, both for your and your horse.

Again, in large enough quantities, they will cause issues.

But your horse would stop eating them on its own before it ate enough to cause a serious problem like poisoning.

Rose hips are not poisonous, and in fact more or less all varieties of rose hip are edible in some form or another.

How many rose hips should I feed my horse?

As I said, moderation is really important, as is keeping your horse’s treats fresh and changing them up.

They will like rose hips, but if you try to give them rose hips for every treat, they will start to get bored.

So, once or twice a week as a treat is a good idea.

This will keep it fresh, as long as you provide a different treat on other days.

When you do give them rose hips, a handful or two at a time would be more than enough.

The thing to remember is that of a horse’s diet, around 75% should be grass and hay.

They will graze most of the time.

Their digestive systems are mostly equipped to digest fibrous plant matter like this.

So, it’s easy to see why it doesn’t take a great deal of something more complex before it can cause health problems.

Make sure your horse always has access to good quality hay and provide a small amount of rosehip as a treat.

How do you dry rosehips for horses?

Rose hips can be eaten in a couple of ways—either fresh or dried.

Many opt for the dried option, as it reduces the overall calories while maintaining most of the nutrients and antioxidants.

Fresh they are a bit juicier, but either way is good.

To dry them out, you’ll first need to be sure to harvest them at the right moment.

They need to be dark red, and not at all mushy, otherwise they will not dry properly.

If they are overripe, they will just turn to mush.

Once harvested, put them in a cloth bag and place them on a heater.

They will need to then be left there for several weeks.

Make sure to turn them over regularly, or the ones at the bottom will get ruined.

After a few weeks, you’ll have a lovely bunch of dried rose hips for your horse to enjoy.

This is a great way to keep up stocks over the winter when the bushes are not growing anymore.

So, as long as they’re carefully prepared and only fed in good moderation, rose hips are a great addition to your horse’s diet.

They are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients, not to mention that your horse will love them as a treat.

The most important thing is always moderation, though, as sometimes a horse’s eyes will be bigger than its stomach.

If you keep that in mind, rosehips make a great treat for your horse.