10/24/2024
We’ve noticed this post about horse digestion and certain tropical fruits has sparked some unintended reactions, and we wanted to take a moment to clarify.
The original point we were making is that horses, having evolved in specific environments, aren't naturally adapted to digest certain foods like bananas and coconuts. This isn’t to say that these fruits are 'poisonous,' but rather that they should be fed sparingly and with care.
We appreciate everyone’s passion and encourage thoughtful discussions around horse health. We’re always open to hearing different viewpoints but hope that our message is taken as intended—caring for horses by feeding them what’s best for their digestion.
As horses did not evolve in tropical islands munching on bananas and coconuts, they do not have the digestive system to handle these foods. In horses, the carbohydrates such as resistant starches will travel to the hindgut undigested and wreak havoc on the microbiome. The undigested starch will encourage growth of bacteria that produce lactic acid and diminish the population of fibre fermenting bacteria. This gut dysbiosis can lead to a whole host of issues such as laminitis, ulcers, metabolic disorders, and behavioural issues.