Can Horses Eat Chocolate?

Chocolate may be one of your favorite sweet treats, but if you’re wondering, “Can horses eat chocolate?” The simple answer is no—chocolate is bad for horses, just like it is for dogs and cats.

Because horses are so large, they can probably eat a chocolate chip and be OK. However, you shouldn’t regularly feed a horse chocolate, says Tracy Turner, DVM, an equine veterinarian in Minnesota.

Here’s why chocolate and horses are not a good combination.

Can Horses Have Chocolate?

It’s best to avoid giving horses any form of chocolate, including cocoa powder. Most species of animals can’t metabolize theobromine and caffeine, two key chocolate ingredients.

Sugar, another ingredient in chocolate, can also be problematic for horses with equine metabolic syndrome and Cushing’s disease.

Dark chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate due to its higher amount of theobromine compared to milk chocolate. Types of chocolate from most toxic to least toxic for horses include:

• Cocoa beans

• Unsweetened cocoa powder

• Baked unsweetened dark/baking chocolate

• Semisweet chocolate

• Milk chocolate

• White chocolate

In addition to health risks, Dr. Turner says there is another critical reason to avoid giving horses chocolate: Drug tests at competitions can detect theobromine and caffeine. Both are banned substances, and if detected this can lead to disqualification.

“Don’t give them coffee, for that matter, either,” he adds.

Why Is Chocolate Bad for Horses?

Chocolate is not a natural part of the horse’s diet, so ingestion can lead at a minimum to digestive upset. While there has not been a lot of research on the potential for chocolate toxicity in horses, we do know that chocolate can be toxic for most species with dogs being affected the worst.

Here’s a look at key ingredients in chocolate and why they harm horses.

Theobromine 

Theobromine is naturally found in cacao plants and cocoa beans. In its raw form, it’s bitter.

Theobromine commonly affects multiple organ systems in the follow ways:

• Stimulates the central nervous system, cardiac system, and skeletal muscle

• Promotes diuresis (increased amount of urine moving through kidneys)

• Induces smooth muscle relaxation

Caffeine 

Caffeine is a stimulant. Dr. Turner says some people use it to “hype horses up” before a race or competition, which is an illegal competition practice.

Too much caffeine can increase a horse’s heart rate, stress, and anxiety levels. Stress and anxiety in horses can lead to gastric ulcers and the abdominal pain known as colic.

Sugar 

Sugar is not toxic for healthy horses—many horse owners feed their horses sugar cubes. However, sugar is bad for horses with some medical conditions such as equine metabolic syndrome, Cushing’s disease, or PSSM.

Milk

Although not toxic like theobromine or caffeine, the milk found in chocolate can bother a horse’s digestive system.

 “A horse’s physiology changes over time, just like in people,” Dr. Turner explains. “As horses get older, they can become lactose-intolerant, so the milk in chocolate can upset their stomach.”

What Happens If a Horse Eats Chocolate?

If a horse eats too much chocolate, it can cause diarrhea, liver damage, internal bleeding, cardiac problems, and neurologic issues. The challenge is determining how much is too much.

“Nobody knows how much horses need to eat to lead to those illnesses,” Dr. Turner says. “We can quantify too much [chocolate] in dogs, but not in horses.” For this reason, veterinarians agree that horses should not eat chocolate at all.

Unless you see them eating chocolate or find an empty candy bag, knowing that a horse has eaten too much chocolate can be difficult. The observable symptoms—diarrhea and an increased heart rate—can indicate many illnesses and conditions.

But when you know your horse has eaten a lot of chocolate, Dr. Turner recommends calling your veterinarian immediately. “The vet will probably tube the horse to siphon the chocolate out of the stomach, or give the horse oil to coat the stomach and prevent it from absorbing the chocolate,” he says.

In serious cases, a horse may need to go to an equine hospital for close monitoring and emergency care. To avoid these complications, don’t feed your horse chocolate, tell others in your barn to never feed chocolate to the horses, and avoid leaving chocolate unattended within a horse’s reach.

What Can Horses Eat Instead of Chocolate?

Horses, like humans, have a sweet tooth and enjoy sweet treats. The good news is you can indulge your horse’s sweet tooth without feeding him chocolate. Dr. Turner recommends apples, carrots, peppermint candies, and horse treats.

For horses sensitive to sugar, low-sugar, low-carb treats are available so they can enjoy a snack without triggering a metabolic response.