You may have learned that feeding corn on the cob to horses is bad for them. When it comes to corn, what is the safe limit?
Corn is not harmful or dangerous to horses in and of itself, but it does pose some risks. Corn should not be overfed to horses, and should only be fed to horses if it is properly prepared.
Can Horses Eat Corn on the Cob?
We do not recommend feeding your horse corn on the cob. While the cob itself does not pose any nutritional health risks, it can be dangerous because your horse could choke on it.
Even though horses have very strong jaws and teeth, they are not always able to properly break down food, especially when it comes to cobs. Unlike in humans, where choking occurs when food gets trapped in the airway, choking in horses occurs when food gets stuck in the esophagus and is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention from a veterinarian.
If you don’t want to waste cobs, you could chop them up into pieces. This will mitigate the chances of your horse choking.
Can horses eat corn?
Horses can eat corn, but it is not very healthy for them. It has a high sugar and simple carbohydrate content, and sweet corn is even worse.
Can you feed your horse corn from the field?
It’s a good idea to avoid feeding horses corn straight from the field because the risk of it being polluted with specific toxins is just too great.
Fumonisin, a toxin created by a fungus that infects corn kernels before harvest, is one of these toxins. Equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM), also known as moldy corn disease, is a neurological disorder that occurs when horses consume enough of this toxin.
For many horse owners, the chance of their horses being ill from ear corn or stalks is too great. Molds (Fusarium spp.) can produce mycotoxins in-ear corn and stalks when the corn plant is grown in unfavorable weather conditions.
While small amounts of corn won’t hurt a horse, senior horses can struggle to properly break down corn, resulting in increased digestive problems and weight loss.
There’s also the possibility of starch overloading a horse. Since starches are digested in the small intestine, if a horse consumes too much at once, some of it will pass undigested into the large intestine.
A horse can become hyper or ‘hot’ tempered and difficult to manage if given too much sugar. It is best to offer a horse food with very little sugar.
Conclusion
The response is a little complicated. Corn is not harmful or dangerous to horses in and of itself, but it does pose some risks. Corn should not be overfed to horses, and proper preparation should be practiced. You should always keep an eye on what your horse eats, especially if your horse eats dirt.
