Can Baby Horses Have Carrots?

Foals can eat carrots, but just like adult horses, they should eat carrots as treats and rewards. Foals love carrots a lot, so you should not give them too many carrots at a time.

What does a baby horse eat?

milk
A healthy mare’s milk provides all of the energy and nutrients a foal needs to support rapid, but steady, growth. Foals often nibble at grass or the mare’s rations, and they can even be seen eating the feces of adult horses. Both behaviors are normal.

How many baby carrots can a horse eat?

Feed your horse only one or two carrots at a time. Small portions of treats are vital.

What is the best feed for a foal?

Grass, the most natural of equine foods, should always be available when foals are turned out, and hay should be provided in the stall. Alfalfa (lucerne) or an alfalfa/grass mix will provide both energy and calcium for sound skeletal development.

What can I feed my 4 month old foal?

FOAL FEEDING GUIDELINES

1. Provide high-quality roughage (hay and pasture) free choice.
2. Supplement with a high-quality, properly-balanced grain concentrate at weaning, or earlier if more rapid rates of gain are desired.

When should a foal start eating grain?

Designed to provide all of a foal’s nutritional needs at birth, a mare’s milk yield naturally starts to decline after the first month or two. By the time the foal is 4 months old, he must supplement his nursing with other food sources, such as forage (hay and pasture) and grain.

How many times a day should a foal be fed?

Start foals at 4 to 8 pints per day, and progressively increase intake up to 4 to 8 quarts a day. Feed four to six times daily with bottle feedings, or teach them to drink from a bucket.

Can foals eat bananas?

Safe Fruits
Bananas: Yes, horses can eat bananas. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium. Some owners and riders that compete with their horses are known to feed bananas (with the peel on) to their horses between competitions.

When should you worm a foal?

Foals should receive their first worming treatment no earlier than 2-3 months of age⁴ with a benzimidazole (BZ) wormer (eg. STRATEGY-T^®). Treating foals less than 2 months of age is not recommended as there will be very few adult worms present at this age.

What treats can you give a foal?

A few sugar cubes or peppermint candies (one or two) are okay, as are many of the commercially available horse treats sold in equine catalogs.

What age can foals eat hay?

As early as one week of age your foal may start taking some interest in feed by nibbling at hay or grain.

Why does my foal have a big belly?

Foals with under-nutrition tend to appear pot-bellied and bloated. Newborn foals with signs of abdominal pain (colic) often show signs of abdominal distention. In this case, the intestine may be physically obstructed or simply not functioning properly. Either way, the intestine fills with gas, fluid or feed material.

Can foals drink too much milk?

Too much milk can make foals grow so quickly that developmental problems may occur. You must match the foal’s age with the mare’s stage of lactation. As a mare progresses through lactation the composition of her milk changes.

Can foals drink water?

Foals drink water less frequently than adults, and their drinking bouts are shorter. The duration has been measured at around a half a minute in foals, while an adult can drink as long as one minute.

How can you tell if a foal has worms?

Common signs of parasite or worm infection include:

1. Weight loss.
2. Colic.
3. Diarrhea or constipation.
4. Rough hair coat.
5. Poor growth in foals.
6. Respiratory problems. (nasal discharge, cough)

What is the best dewormer for foals?

The recommended dewormer is fenbendazole, which is the active ingredient in the dewormers Safe-Guard and Panacur. Foals should be dewormed every month until they are 18 months old. We usually recommend using fenbendazole for the first four months.

Can you give ivermectin to foal?

Foals should not be wormed until 6 weeks of age. We then advise giving the foal a wormer containing fenbendazole (Panacur) or ivermectin. Worming should be maintained regularly throughout the year alternating annually between ivermectin, moxidectin and pyrantel.

How many baby carrots can a horse eat a day?

Feeding too many carrots in one day could also cause your horse to not eat their normal food, which is essential for proper digestion. Feeding one to two carrots per day is recommended by the majority of horse owners. I would not feed more than 2 per day and it is helpful if you feed them at different times.

How many pounds of carrots can a horse eat?

For an average size horse, one or two carrots is sufficient. Feeding too much of any treat can have negative effects on a balanced diet like lowering protein content, raising starch levels and diluting vitamins and minerals.

Do carrots make horses gain weight?

The horses seem to do well on carrots, and they do put weight on with them. Carrots seem to change their coat color a little, their manure is loose, and they certainly enjoy them.

Can horses live off of carrots?

The easy answer is yes.
That said, a carrot should not replace their typical food, and treats, in general, should make up 10% or less of their overall diet. In this article, we look at the relationship between carrots and horses, the nutritional benefits and risks, and how you should feed carrots to your horse.