askHELTIE HELTIEhorse® Apples, pears, and carrots are also suitable for sugar-sensitive horses and ponies.

Apples, pears, and carrots are also suitable for sugar-sensitive horses and ponies.

“My horse/pony absolutely cannot have apples, carrots, or other fruits because it is insulin resistant.” Or “carrots are sugar bombs, unhealthy for horses.” We hear this quite often and it does surprise us. Because fruit is more than just sugars and carrots contain more nutrients. With this blog, we want to inform you about the nutritional value of various fruits and carrots. And show you that it is not harmful to occasionally give your horse fruit or carrots!

Insulin resistance

Feeding

24 July '24 • 3 min reading time

Apples: Rich Source of Antioxidants

A medium-sized apple weighs around 182 grams. If you compare that to the amount of roughage your horse eats, it is of course negligible. But first, the facts about the apple: Nutrients in a medium-sized apple:

  • 95 kcal
  • 0.5 grams of protein
  • 0.3 grams of fat
  • 19 grams of sugar
  • 4 grams of fiber
  • Vitamins and Minerals:
    • 8.4 mg vitamin C
    • 98 IU vitamin A
    • 195 mg potassium
    • 11 mg calcium
    • 0.22 mg iron
  • Antioxidants: quercetin, catechin, and chlorogenic acid
  • Polyphenols

So apples contain sugar, about 10.4%. And we understand that this sounds high. But what is the sugar content of your hay or grass? Nowadays, you can be happy if this is below 10%. And your horse eats kilograms of that per day. Can it then hurt if your horse occasionally eats an apple? We don't think so, even for sugar-sensitive horses! Apples are more than just sugars! They contain important minerals and vitamins and many antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells against free radicals, which is enormously important for the body!

Pears: High in Fiber and Minerals

A pear weighs on average 178 grams. Not very big, but ripe pears are found to be very tasty by many horses. Here are the facts about pears: Nutrients in an average pear:

  • 101 kcal
  • 0.6 grams of protein
  • 0.3 grams of fat
  • 17 grams of sugar
  • 6 grams of fiber
  • Vitamins and Minerals:
    • 7.5 mg vitamin C
    • 38 IU vitamin A
    • 206 mg potassium
    • 16 mg calcium
    • 0.3 mg iron
  • Antioxidants: quercetin and kaempferol
  • Polyphenols

Pears contain relatively less sugar than apples, about 9.5%. They are slightly richer in potassium and lower in iron than apples. But pears are also rich in fiber and antioxidants, making them a very healthy treat for your horse or pony.

Carrots: Difference Between Feed Carrots and Regular Carrots

For carrots, you can differentiate between feed carrots (for animal feed) and carrots for human consumption. Both are shown in the overview below. But the values do not differ significantly. Nutritional value of carrots (per 100 grams): Human Feed Carrot

  • 41 kcal 35 kcal
  • 0.9 grams protein 0.8 grams protein
  • 0.2 grams fat 0.2 grams fat
  • 4.7 grams sugar 3-4 grams sugar
  • 2.8 grams fiber 3-4 grams fiber
  • Vitamins and Minerals
    • 835 µg vitamin A 750 µg vitamin A
    • 5.9 mg vitamin C 4.5 mg vitamin C
    • 13.3 µg vitamin K 11 µg vitamin K
    • 329 mg potassium 275 mg potassium
    • 33 mg calcium 27 mg calcium
    • 0.3 mg iron 0.2 mg iron

As you can see in the overview, carrots for human consumption contain more sugar, so they are a bit sweeter. But even then, 4.7 grams is really very low! Feed carrots are lower in minerals and vitamins, but contain more fiber. Both types of carrots are great for horses! They are low in sugar but rich in minerals and vitamins. A truly healthy treat for any horse!

Of Course, It's All About Balance!

If your horse is extremely sensitive to sugars, of course, do not give them apples and pears every day. But an occasional tasty treat really doesn't hurt. The claim that carrots are sugar bombs is also not true. They contain less sugar than many concentrates/balancers, hay, and grass. Horses can chew on them well, which is beneficial for saliva production and teeth. But it's all about balance. It's not healthy for any horse to eat kilograms of fruit or carrots every day. It's about variety. Fruit and vegetables are healthy for horses (always check first which ones are not allowed). They contain fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and other important substances. They are part of the horse's diet, but make sure it stays balanced!

Never Give Carrots in Slices!

One more important reminder: never cut carrots into slices and give them to horses. A horse's esophagus is round and has the diameter of a felt-tip pen. With a bit of bad luck, the horse won't chew on the carrot slice, and it will get stuck in the esophagus. Let your horse bite off the carrot itself or cut it into strips.

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