Mythbuster Monday: Carrots Can Be Used as a Meal Replacement

On Mythbuster Monday, we tackle a variety of equestrian myths to either bust or confirm. Today’s discussion: Can carrots be used as a meal replacement?

It’s Mythbuster Monday, where Horse Nation dives into different equestrian myths and provides research-based evidence to either bust or confirm those myths. Today’s topic: Can carrots be used as a meal replacement? Can you give a horse too many? What are the better options out there? Read more to find out!

Myth: Carrots can be used as a meal replacement

Myth or Fact: Myth

Canva/CC

Carrots are a root vegetable that are typically orange in color. Per year, approximately 42 million tons of carrots are harvested. Carrots get their orange color from beta-carotene making the vegetable rich in vitamin A.

Carrots are commonly given to horses as a treat because they are sweet and palatable, making them desirable to most horses. But, can they be used as a meal replacement?

Canva/CC

According to an article by Just Horse Riders, carrots are 85-90% water. The vegetable is approximately 30 calories per carrot, seven grams of carbohydrates, 3.41 grams of sugar with very minimal protein and fat. Carrots are rich in vitamins A and K, aiding in boosting the immune system.

However, the same article states feeding too many is like giving your child too much candy. The carrot itself is sweet to horses, so it should not be used for meal replacements. However, it can be used to entice a horse to eat or mix with other ingredients to make a more nutritious snack.

Canva/CC

Equinews, presented by Kentucky Equine Research, states that while carrots in large quantities won’t hurt a horse, the biggest concern is the horse not getting enough forage if carrots are used as the main source of food. Carrots are approximately 85 – 90% water, so horses getting carrots as their main source of nutrition are getting minimal dry matter. For each carrot, 25% of the dry matter is water-soluble carbohydrates, approximately 0.36% is sugar and about half is soluble fiber.

The higher water intake of carrots as opposed to other feeding options can cause loose manure and, when used as a meal replacement, can account for excess water weight. While this doesn’t hurt the horse, carrots can also give horses an orange tint to their coat. Carotenes get absorbed by the horse causing the orange tint to the hair.

Canva/CC

Alana Silverman, a certified EAGALA Equine Specialist, wrote an article about how, although horses can have carrots as a great treat, they are not sufficient as a meal replacement. She writes that horses need mostly high fiber foods such as hay. From an evolution status, horses are grazing animals and their bodies are built to maintain best in that capacity. Carrots do not provide the same process through the GI tract as forage-based feeds and hay options.

Silverman also states that the balance between bacteria and microbes in the GI tract is so delicate that too many carrots can cause GI upset, other GI-related issues, and, most severely, colic. Carrots given in high quantities can lower protein absorption and dilute vitamin and mineral amounts.

Canva/CC

After diving into the research, carrots should not be fed as a meal replacement. The nutrition in carrots is diluted and too many can cause GI issues. Horses should ideally have a diet that is mainly made up of forage-based options with little grain.

Do you have an equine myth you’d like us to tackle? If so, send it our way! Email your suggestions to [email protected]. Put Mythbuster Monday in your subject line.