Can Horses Eat Pumpkin Safely?

Pumpkins are prevalent at grocery stores, farmer’s markets and roadside stands about now, and they’re more than just the rage for humans—many horses enjoy the taste of pumpkin, too. High in vitamins A and E, as well as in fiber and folate, pumpkins are tasty treats to many horses.

Instead of throwing away carved pumpkins after Halloween, horse owners can remove the stem and leave the pumpkin in the pasture as a toy or a tasty treat. Some horses enjoy the rind as well as the pulp inside the pumpkin.

If the pumpkin was used as a jack-o’-lantern, be sure to remove any melted wax before offering it to equines. If it was a whole pumpkin used as decoration, there’s no need to scrape out the seeds, either—many horses enjoy them as a tasty treat. Pumpkin can also be cut into bite-sized pieces and fed as a treat.

Though pumpkin is safe snacking for most equines, if a horse has been diagnosed with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), signs of the disease may be exacerbated by pumpkin ingestion as it contains a high level of potassium.