Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
I have 5 horses, 2 minis who were overweight and IR but we are working on it, and 3 large horses, one older who has coliced twice and went to surgery both times, also foundered, due to wild strawberries i didn't know about, we think. You talk about feeding fruits to overweight horses and balancing that sugar but what about vegetables? are there any veggies you recommend feeding to horses?
thanks so much, i love your website and i just gave all the info and the link to my vet who was really happy to see how accurate all your info is and is anxious to pass it on to her clients!
thanks so much for you help!
Where are you from? Hanover, NH
How did you locate this forum? online search
Hi Nancy,
Veggies are much, much lower in sugar (except for carrots) than fruits would be. But there aren't many to choose from that horses like and are safe to feed. Lettuce and celery are okay, but stay away from broccoli, cabbage, collards, tomatoes, or spinach -- these are all hazardous.
Squash, such as zucchini, pumpkin, acorn, etc. are safe to feed. They do have somewhat more sugar than green leafies (actually squash is a fruit).
Remember that fruit rinds like watermelon rinds and apple peels are low in sugar.
Thank you for your very kind words and showing your vet my book.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse
thanks so much, i love your website and i just gave all the info and the link to my vet who was really happy to see how accurate all your info is and is anxious to pass it on to her clients!
thanks so much for you help!
Where are you from? Waverly, Ohio