Can Horses Eat Eggs?

Eggs are full of protein, and if you are asked can horses eat eggs? Yes, this is a good addition to the horse’s diet, Not a boiled egg or a fried egg like we would have, but a raw egg mixed through their feed, even two eggs. In fact, if the horse is too thin it may help with weight gain and build them up a bit.

Vary the Horses Diet

A horse’s diet is a bit boring and working horses mainly eat hay. If a horse is stabled and properly cared for, they will get some other grains and treats as well. Horses really like carrots and apples and can be given some cut-up portions as treats. When a horse lives outside he will spend about 70% of his time eating or grazing. Horses are often attracted to sweet things like sugar lumps. We don’t want to rot their teeth, so it is better to switch them to a healthy snack.

Can Horses Eat Eggs

If your horse is outside in the paddock for half the year, as it is in many countries with mild climates, you will be feeding him regularly to get the grain protein balance right. The horse has a complex digestive system, and he can be fed raw eggs as part of his grain mix, be careful to mix the eggs right through the grains in the feeding bucket. This will give him some additional protein, and keep him healthy. Make sure that the horse always has access to freshwater. Some horses also require a salt lick to get the trace element, ask the vet if this is necessary or not. When the horse is in a paddock he will eat overhanging tree leaves, so make sure that all the surrounding trees are safe for the horse to ingest, as he will eat most foliage he can reach.

Race Horses Coat

The life of a racehorse is very regimented. Most horses only race for less than 5 years, and during that time are fed a very strict diet and do track work every day. Some of the trainers actually put the raw egg into the food mix, as the trace elements contained in the egg keep the horses very shiny and sleek. The same sleek shiny coat occurs in dogs who have been eating eggs, and in the horse, it is the omega-6 and omega-3 that gives them that sleek coat when the raw egg is fed to them. If eggs are not available they are given supplements instead, and of course, they get brushed a lot.

The Working Horse

In the old days when the Clydesdales pulled the farm plows, there were many stories about life in the stables, where the horses were bedded down at night. One of the true stories was that the horses had a lot of hay in their feeding boxes (loose boxes), and the hens would come in during the day and lay eggs in there. At night when the horses came home to feed and rest they would pick up an egg and break it over the straw and then eat egg and straw. So the working horses must have known what was good for them. They lived until they were around 30 years old, and were extremely healthy.

The Horses Digestive System

Can horses eat eggs to benefit their digestive system? Yes, foods that contain digestive enzymes are good for the horse, and horses should not be fed too much indigestible starch. Horses have a delicate gut health balance and should eat small meals often. An egg will aid the fiber fermenting bacteria to stay in the gut and help digestion of fiber. If the horse suffers from frequent colic his diet needs to change.

Conclusion

A rapid change in horse diet can lead to illness. A horse can tolerate up to 20% fat in its diet, but no more. It takes about 4 weeks for the horse to adjust to this as they have very long intestines. An average-sized horse can eat up to 20 lbs of food or fodder a day. Fresh grass is a great food for the horse and probably all he would get if living unassisted in the countryside.