The risk of horses getting sick from the ear corn or the stalks is too great for many horse owners. Ear corn and stalks might harbor mycotoxins produced by molds Fusarium spp. The mycotoxin fumonisin seems to be the most devastating to horses, causing equine leukoencephalomalacia also known as moldy corn poisoning or blind staggers , which brings about facial paralysis, ataxia, and potentially death.
Risks with feeding corn silage also include bacterial contamination, such as Clostridium botulinum which causes botulism, and Listeria moncytogenes , which causes listeriosis. Mold and bacteria are rarely visible on the exterior of the ear or stalk, making it nearly impossible to detect a potential problem.
There does appear to be a variation in the susceptibility to these poisonings among individuals, so not every horse is equally affected when exposed. Moldy Corn a Risky Ingredient for Horses. But just to be safe, plant your tomatoes in a secure, fenced area. Yes, horses can eat cucumbers — a welcome answer to those of you with an overabundance of cucumbers growing in your gardens. Cucumbers are a fantastic source of vitamins such as A, K, and C, as well as potassium. Can horses eat eggs? We all know eggs are a great source of protein which have an ideal balance of amino acids, minerals and vitamins.
Yes, they can eat as an occasional treat. Just because horses love peanut butter so you can feed with peanut butter if your horses are suffering from metabolic syndrome than do not feed peanut butter. Some horses have a nut allergy, so do not feed in this case too. It is safe to feed horses the banana peel, but keep in mind that many horses do not enjoy eating the peel. Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse.
If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets. Cereal grains are an excellent source of calories for horses that require more digestible energy than can be supplied by a forage-only diet.
Corn is the more energy-dense cereal grain on an equal-weight basis due to oats having more low-quality fiber, namely the oat hull that is poorly digested by the horse.
If a barefoot horse develops corns, horse owners can use pour-in pad materials to help with the healing process and allow bruised feet to heal. Some fast-setting, soft pad materials bond directly to the sole and frog, and improve the depth of the sole. Quittor is an old term for a condition that involves death and destruction necrosis of the collateral cartilages of the foot see our information sheet on sidebones , following an infection in the foot see our information sheet on pus in the foot.
So you should always buy your corn from reputable growers who test their corn for mold. Another warning when it comes to feeding your horse corn is that you should never feed your horse too much corn all at once. One of the reasons for this is that it contains a lot of starch which is difficult for your horse to digest. Too much starch in your horses gut can lead to an imbalance of gut bacteria and colic. Excessive starch is also bad for horses with metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance and laminitis.
The safest way to feed your horse corn on the cob is to remove the kernels and just feed these to your horse. The kernels are the most nutritious part of corn. Whereas the rest has little nutritional value and also poses a choking hazard.
So, can horses eat corn on the cob? The answer to this is a tricky one. Even though all parts of corn are non-toxic to a horse, the husk and cob can pose a choking hazard. The corn kernels are the most nutritious part, however, they contain high amounts of starch.
So you should avoid feeding them to overweight horses or horses with laminitis or insulin resistance. And to avoid moldy corn disease, always buy your corn from a reputed seller who tests the corn for mold. Table of Contents. Can Horses Eat Corn? Can Horses Eat Corn Cob? Can Horses Eat the Corn Stalk?
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