Do Horses Eat Meat?

Ever wonder, “do horses eat meat?” In most cases, the answer is no.

Horses are grazing animals in the wild and they generally receive a hay-based diet in human care. In the past, however, domestic horses in some regions ate fish, either as a salt supplement or a source of protein in places where protein-rich forage was unavailable.

Modern-day horses are not meant to eat meat or most other animal products. One notable exception is fish oil, which serves as a safe and highly digestible omega-3 fatty acid supplement for horses, as recommended by your veterinarian.

Can Horses Eat Meat?

Meat is not part of a horse’s natural diet. According to ProTrition® equine nutritionist Grey Parks, MS, “Horses are herbivores. They eat plants. That doesn’t mean they can’t eat meat and survive, but it isn’t and shouldn’t be part of their diet.”

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM, MS, elaborates: “Horses are in the ‘hind-gut fermenters’ category of herbivores. They use a friendly microbial population to ferment and digest a wide variety of plant materials, such as grass and other forage. Most species other than herbivores do not possess the same ability to break the bonds in complex fiber, allowing digestion of this type of roughage.”

In other words, most carnivores and omnivores can’t digest hay or grass. But can horses at least digest meat? Dr. Garlinghouse says it’s possible.

“Once digestion has begun in the mouth and stomach, the body does not see ‘meat,’ ‘carrots,’ or ‘corn oil,’” she says. “It only sees amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.” So, if an animal’s body is able to break down a food into its component parts, it can use the nutrients in that food.

One analysis of horse skeletons excavated from an ancient Greek cemetery showed that the horses’ diet was about 20% fish. And as recently as the mid-1980s, salted herring was provided to horses in Iceland as a free-choice supplement.

“Some of the toughest [horse] breeds on the planet originated in places like Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, where plant proteins can’t be grown in sufficient quantities to provide horses with all the protein they need,” Dr. Garlinghouse says. “For horses in these harsh environments, fish served for hundreds of years as a rich source of highly digestible protein and fats, rich in omega-3 fatty acids.”

Today, common sources of plant protein, like alfalfa and soybeans, ship worldwide. So even in Scandinavia, it’s no longer necessary or advisable for horses to eat animal protein.

Understanding a Horse’s Natural Diet

The bulk of any horse’s diet should be forage, meaning plant matter, typically in the form of hay or pasture. Concentrates, such as grain, may be provided in moderation to horses with additional caloric needs, such as nursing mares and working horses.

For feeding most healthy adult horses, 1–2% of body weight per day in forage will provide plenty of fuel for a moderate level of exercise. To simulate natural grazing behavior, hay should be spread into three or more small meals per day and/or offered in a slow feeder for horses kept primarily in stalls or those that don’t have access to pasture.

In addition to forage and water, all horses need salt—about 2 tablespoons of it per day, provided loose or in the form of a salt block.

Hay or pasture testing can tell you if your forage contains enough vitamins and minerals to meet your horse’s needs. Any deficiencies can be addressed through supplements or a feed change as discussed with your veterinarian.

What Happens If a Horse Eats Meat?

Many equestrians—including equine nutritionists like Parks—have encountered horses with surprisingly omnivorous tastes. “I had a horse that ate anything,” she says. “You had to be careful. Once, at a horse show, he ate a hot dog!”

If you lose your sandwich to a nosy horse, there’s no need for a vet visit. “Don’t do a thing, except laugh at yourself for not hiding your lunch better,” Dr. Garlinghouse says.

And a horse that nibbles meat isn’t a sign of a problem with their regular menu, Dr. Garlinghouse says. “It’s a myth that horses are able to balance their own diet by seeking out certain nutrients,” she adds. “With the exception of salt, domestic animals do not have the ability to identify and self-correct nutritional deficiencies.”

Health Risks Associated with Horses Eating Meat

A stolen bite of cooked meat here and there may be harmless, but large amounts of meat are another matter.

Horses’ digestive systems are meant to break down forage slowly. Meat digests quickly. So, a horse who is often eating meat-based meals would frequently have an empty stomach, potentially causing gastric ulcers due to the constant production of stomach acid.

Horses that consume meat may be at higher risk for acute colic as well, sue to abrupt changes in the gastrointestinal tract’s bacterial microbiome and pH levels.

Furthermore, meat has a higher concentration of protein than even the most protein-rich plants, and it contains no dietary fiber—meaning a meat diet cannot provide the right balance of macronutrients for horses.

Raw meat, including raw pet food products, may be contaminated with dangerous pathogens like salmonella and listeria and is not recommended by the FDA or the CDC.

Rodents or small birds are sometimes accidentally baled into hay during harvesting. Hay contaminated in this way is also unsafe to eat.

“Depending on the size and tightness of the bale, dangerous bacteria such as may develop and contribute to botulism,”  Dr. Garlinghouse says. “In one case, several horses at a California boarding facility died after being fed pellets produced from hay containing botulism from entrapped small animals.”

Always inspect hay products, including cubes and pellets, for signs of animal matter. If you notice anything suspicious, throw away the contaminated feed and seek veterinary advice.

What To Feed a Horse Instead of Meat

The only animal product known to benefit horses is fish oil. Both Parks and Dr. Garlinghouse recommend it as a highly digestible source of omega-3 fatty acids.

“Fish oil is naturally very high in EPA and DHA, which are the most useful omega-3s,” Parks says. “Flaxseeds and chia seeds also have omega-3s, but they have to be converted into EPA and DHA in the body. Horses are not very good at making this conversion of plant-based sources. So fish oil is the most efficient source of EPA and DHA for horses.”

As for why you might want to feed omega-3s, Dr. Garlinghouse identifies a list of reasons:

• Anti-inflammatory properties that can help with horse skin issues

• Improved hoof health due to increased tissue elasticity and strength

• Shinier, healthier coats, manes, and tails

• Possible joint health benefits, by way of reducing inflammation and slowing the progression of arthritis

Fish oil supplements made specifically for horses often add a horse-friendly flavor to increase palatability. Consider EO-3™, from Kentucky Equine Research®, which tastes like “minty apple.”

Your vet may recommend one or more of these healthful treats, too:

• Majesty’s™ Omega Wafers for skin, coat, and hoof support

• FlaxSnax® Skin & Coat Baked Horse Treats for omega-3s from flax

• Equine Edibles Therapeutic Bran Mash with white willow bark and yucca for arthritis relief in senior horses (not suitable for horses that may be drug-tested in competition)

• Probios® Equine Probiotic Chews for digestive health

If you enjoy sharing food with your horse, add more fruits and veggies to your lunchbox. While carrots and apples are most commonly fed to horses, adventurous eaters often enjoy a wider variety of plant-based snacks, like…

• Bananas

• Watermelon (fruit and rind)

• Cherries (minus the pits)

• Sweet potatoes, either raw or cooked

• Berries

• Celery

• Pumpkin

• Melons

• Snow peas

Always talk with your veterinarian before feeding your horse new foods or considering adding a supplement to their diet.