# Apples for horses?



## Acrophylla (Apr 16, 2008)

Is it OK to give horses apples that have fallen from cooking apple trees? Or do cooking apples taste too bitter to horses? I have a load of apples that have fallen off the cooking apple trees.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I was always told not to feed cooking apples as they are sour and can cause colic. Not sure how true that is, but I never have, just in case.

Mush them up and make CIDER


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

Not sure about cooking apples but many people give one apple a day to a horse. Mine don't get them personally. Just make sure the apple hasn't been on the ground too long as it'll start to ferment and be sure to chop the apple up, I have known horses to choke before from being given a whole apple.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

I would be surprised if they will eat the cooking apples anyway.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

I wouldn't have thought they'd be any different to normal apples although they are often more bitter so a horse may not like them, but some do, as others have said make sure they've not started to ferment, drunk horses are never much fun!, and don't give too many as that could cause colic. One of mine tried to eat crab apples off a tree in our hedge, the face she made was priceless she was wrinkling her nose up and trying to rub the taste off on her leg, one bite and your mouth shrivels up as they are soooo bitter, needless to say none of them have ever touched one since!!


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## Acrophylla (Apr 16, 2008)

Thanks for all your replies. I like the mental image of a horse crinkling its nose AlexArt! The horse I'm helping to look after is very old and already bites its apples in half with surprising skill considering its teeth are so big and the apple so small.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Hanwombat said:


> Not sure about cooking apples but many people give one apple a day to a horse. Mine don't get them personally. Just make sure the apple hasn't been on the ground too long as it'll start to ferment and be sure to chop the apple up, I have known horses to choke before from being given a whole apple.


Horses are better off being given bigger pieces or a whole apple to chew as smaller pieces can actually make them swallow them too quickly and end up choking that way.
I know cooking apples aren't good for us so I'm not sure horses should have them.


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

Wiz201 said:


> Horses are better off being given bigger pieces or a whole apple to chew as smaller pieces can actually make them swallow them too quickly and end up choking that way.
> I know cooking apples aren't good for us so I'm not sure horses should have them.


Usually better to cut them in strips - same with carrots. 
I meant cut into quarters or something. I don't have the problem though as mine don't get apples.


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## thomas7 (Mar 16, 2015)

I agree with lurcherlad...cooking apples are really very sour and cause colic for sure....


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

this thread is two years old!


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## Lily Joe (Apr 12, 2017)

I think it is OK to give horses apples that have fallen from apple trees. But it depends on every horse nature because some horses like to eat apples and some horses do not like to eat apples.


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