Can Horses Eat Crab Apples? Here Are 4 Interesting Facts!

Knowing that horses eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and crops, you would want to know if all of them are edible for horses with questions such as “Can horses eat crab apples?” Yes, horses can eat crab apples, but you must give this in small quantities to avoid complications.

Here’s what you should take note of: Horses are herbivores, but they have a very complex digestive tract that can digest or give complications upon digestion.

As an owner or caretaker, you have to be hands-on when it comes to the food you give to them, especially when you make money out of your horses. In a way, horses are commonly seen in barns, farms, and, of course, in zoos. But we rarely see them in the wild nowadays.

Usually, crab apples would not grow in barns and enclosed places if you won’t plant one, so shallow instances that your horses could eat.

 

Crab Apples As Food For Horses

Any apple variant is highly acidic and contains many naturally toxic chemicals that can be bad for your horses. Can horses eat crab apples? Indeed, one crab apple could not do any damage for your horses, and they can eat such.

Although, you should limit this because crab apples contain many toxic chemicals that you would not want your horses to intake. One of the things that you should worry about is gastrointestinal complications among your horses.

Crab apples contain seeds that have a lot of toxic inside them, such as cyanide. Therefore, it can have a significant impact only if your horse eats a handful of it. But then again, one crab apple to ease out hunger isn’t bad. Just make sure that you adjust them based on their sizes and health.

Here are the answers to common questions:

 

#1. What is a crab apple?

When you hear about crab apples, it makes you think either this looks like a crab or why is it called a crab apple? Crab apples are apples that are recognized to be immature ones. Therefore, a crab apple is safe to eat, but it has its limitations.

Unlike the average apple we usually purchase, its seeds can be highly toxic for animals and humans. It does taste a little bit sour, and a touch of sweetness also comes through. One more thing about it is that it has a tart type of taste.

As you know, these crab apples have a lot more color variety than other usual apples that you see. They can be red, green, orange, maroon, and yellow. These crab apples work as a potential ingredient for jellies and jams by just adding sweeteners.

Aside from the seeds, these fruits can be considered significant to be eaten by humans and animals.

 

#2. Where can crab apples grow?

Crab apples can grow everywhere since it is not so hard to plant. Usually, it is seen in Asia and the Northern part of America. They grow fast, and that they quickly spread throughout a place. Often, it is recognized to be a decorative type of fruit.

Usually, these grow in places where the soil is often dry, and the sun rays fully on the area. It can also be seen along boulevards and even in parks. Even in the cities, crab apples are everywhere. One of the reasons it is commonly planted and produced is that it looks extra on cities to put shades and make it a little full.

Crab apple trees are fruit-bearing, and it has a lovely flower when it blooms. However, one would not expect it to be edible since it is just seen along the roads.  These trees could grow anywhere, but then it is more likely to succeed in dry soil places.

 

#3. What fruits can horses eat?

Are you wondering if crab apple trees are poisonous to horses? It can be if taken in large amounts. The thing is that horses can eat many fruits, but it should depend on what content the fruit has and how it could affect their health.

Examples of fruits that they eat are bananas, cantaloupe, raisins, and some strawberries can also be great for them.

Wild fruits are allowed as long as they do not contain toxic chemicals like what crab apples have. You can do some research to ensure this, and maybe you can find out if it is good or bad for your horses.

 

#4. What gastrointestinal disease occurs to horses?

When you let your horses eat many crab apples and their seeds, they can have a severe gastrointestinal disease such as IBD. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) commonly occurs in horses. It is not only one disease but a group composed of some intestinal diseases.

Usually, this happens due to the abnormal leukocytes accumulation on your horses’ intestinal barrier. The cause of this disease is sometimes unclear and simply complex, but of course, we have information about it.

According to some researches, it is something like an immune response that is abnormal on substances like stimuli that are antigenic. That can make your horses suffer a lot, and it is tough to fight with, especially that the digestive system is concerned.

It can result in loss of appetite, and worse is death. Colic is also recognized as one of the worse gastrointestinal sicknesses for horses. Some symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease for horses are lethargy, weight loss, and dependent edema. The way horses absorb the nutrients gets affected.

And these horses can suffer from abdominal pain and diarrhea. You can treat this, but it is the worst-case. So as much as possible, avoid giving your horses food that can result in this. Mainly those crab apples were containing a lot of toxic on their seeds.

 

Conclusion

Can horses eat crab apples? The answer is yes; horses can eat crab apples but of course in control amount of intake. It would help if you did not allow them to eat the seeds as much as possible because, as we have shared, it has many toxic chemicals.