Can Horses Eat Yogurt?
Yogurt is one of those versatile foods that you can eat for any meal and at any time of the day.
Whether you have it for breakfast or as a sauce for dinner, yogurt is a great addition to most meals and is both delicious and affordable.
But is it ok for horses to eat yogurt?
Well, I was curious about this and decided to do some research and am excited to share it with you today. S
o, without wasting any more time, let’s answer the question “can horses eat yogurt?”
The answer to this question is no, horses are not able to eat yogurt. Adult horses are not able to digest lactose which is a main component of yogurt and other dairy products. Eating yogurt, and other dairy products can result in many negative side effects for your horse. As a result, you should avoid feeding your horse yogurt.
Dairy products on a whole should be avoided when it comes to feeding your horse and giving them treats.
There are many other food options that you can use instead of yogurt.
But why is yogurt harmful to horses, what are the negative side effects of yogurt for horses, and can baby horses eat yogurt?
We are going to explore all of these questions and more in this article as we dive deeper into the topic of can horses eat yogurt.
Let’s get into it!
Is yogurt harmful to horses?
The answer to this question is yes, yogurt is harmful for horses.
In general, horses are not able to eat any type of dairy products, and this applies to yogurt.
Yogurt is produced through the bacterial fermentation of milk using yogurt cultures and, therefore, has a relatively high lactose content.
As, a result it is not suitable to feed yogurt to your horses, or any other dairy product for that matter.
Yogurt, and other dairy products, are not safe for your horses to consume because horses do not have the appropriate digestive enzymes required to digest and absorb lactose.
This can result in your horse experiencing digestive issues and other negative side effects.
Negative effects of eating yogurt
As mentioned before, horses should not be eating yogurt as their bodies are not properly equipped to handle it and it can result in different negative side effects.
Well, what exactly are those side effects?
The main negative impacts of eating dairy for your horse includes:
Diarrhea
Because horses are unable to properly digest dairy and lactose, when they do consume it, it results in a loosening of their stool and can lead to diarrhea and other bowel-related issues.
Diarrhea can become very serious as excessive diarrhea results in a drastic loss of fluid which leads to dehydration and fatigue.
If it is not dealt with in a timely fashion it can result in long term issues for your horse.
Restlessness
Consuming dairy and other products that contain different levels of lactose can result in your horse having an upset stomach and can be extremely uncomfortable for them.
This makes them restless, irritable, and difficult to control.
The level of discomfort that your horse experiences depends on the amount of yogurt that it has consumed.
It is important to monitor what your horse is eating and to ensure that they are getting the requisite number of vitamins and minerals required to function at their optimal level.
Can horses eat Greek yogurt?
Greek yogurt refers to yogurt that has been strained in order to remove the majority of the liquid (specifically whey) that is contained in it.
This results in a thicker consistency and a different texture of yogurt.
While the consistency and texture are different, Greek yogurt is fundamentally no different from regular yogurt in that they are both made from milk using yogurt cultures and are allowed to culture and ferment over time.
The only difference is that Greek yogurt is strained!
Because of this, the answer to this question is no, horses are not able to eat Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt is essentially still dairy just with a different texture and, as a result, is not safe for a horse to consume.
Can baby horses eat yogurt?
No, baby horses are not able to eat yogurt.
As their digestive systems are even less developed than adult horses, they are even less capable of breaking down the lactose found in yogurt than adult horse and should, therefore, stay away from it as much as possible.
Baby horses should focus instead on consuming their mother’s milk for the first couple weeks before slowly introducing other food sources such as grass and horse grain.
Can sick horses eat yogurt?
While for the most part you should avoid feeding yogurt to your horses there are, however, some instances where it may be appropriate to feed it to them.
One of these instances is in the case of your horse developing stomach ulcers.
Stomach ulcers, also known as gastric ulcers, are sores that form on the lining of the stomach and are common in horses with an estimated 50-%90% of horses contracting them.
They can occur in horses of any age but frequently affect horses that perform athletic activities such as racing, showing, or endurance.
One way to combat stomach ulcers is through the use of probiotics which are very popular when it comes to horses.
Probiotics are bacteria strains that help to combat the bacteria responsible for the formation of ulcers.
There are many different types of probiotics with some of the more popular being milk based probiotics; one of these being yogurt.
Yogurt products containing Lactobacillus are used as probiotic supplements for horses and are effective methods of combating ulcers.
Probiotics have many health benefits for horses including restoring microbial balance, helping to resolve digestive issues such as diarrhoea, and supporting the absorption of protein and nutrients.
In this form, and under these particular circumstances, yogurt can, therefore, have a positive impact on the overall health of your horse and is perfectly safe to use in moderation and as prescribed.
In conclusion, no, horses cannot eat yogurt.
This is because yogurt is made of dairy and contains lactose and horses do not possess the required enzymes or digestive systems needed to break them down.
As a result, consuming yogurt can have many negative side effects for horses such as diarrhea and general discomfort.
It is, therefore, recommended that you avoid feeding your horses yogurt, or any other form of dairy, and should instead focus on ensuring that they have a balanced, nutritious diet.
Yogurt should only be fed to your horse if being used as a probiotic in order to combat stomach ulcers and should only be used in the manner and dosage prescribed.