b"Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY PUMPKIN SEASONthe magazine C an horses eat pumpkin?If your horse is fussy then you could save some seeds Yes! Orange pumpkinand mix in with regular treats until they become used is safe for horses, as itto the taste and smell. If they find the pumpkin a bit Mike Barna is technically a fruit. Other gourds that you may usetough to chew you can bake it to soften it up.for autumn decorations can prove toxic for horses Publisher and can cause colic, diarrhea, and gastrointestinalBENEFITS OF FEEDING PUMPKIN ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com irritation. While some horses will simply notAlthough pumpkins are not packed with nutrientsappreciate the taste of pumpkin, others will love it they are about 90 percent waterthey do have a sweet both the taste and the experience! flavor, and some horses develop a taste for them. Erika Smith Royal Pumpkin is not high in sugars and is low in fats. Editor CHECK CONDITION Further, it has a decent amount of potassium, at erika963realcountry@gmail.com Before you let them have some, though, make sure.4 grams per cup. While that is higher in a human you are properly selecting and preparing it. context, it poses little to no disruption to a horses daily intake, as hay typically yields 8.5 grams per Misty Voitovski If the pumpkin shows any signs of mold, rotting,cup. If your horse has insulin resistance or another mildew (these are especially prevalent at timesmetabolic disorder, you will want to consult your Creative Director around the parts that were in contact with thevet before giving your horse pumpkin. Horses who ground) do not feed it to your horse. If there arecannot tolerate potassium should not be fed pumpkin, small patches of sagginess or softness these may beor should only be fed it in limited quantities.Contributing Writers cut out and the remaining pumpkin is still safe to Lee AndersonJustin Legler eat. If you have carved the pumpkin and used it toPumpkin has a relatively safe glycemic index Emilio MartinezMark Melkowskihold a candle, check the inside to ensure there is no(carbohydrate composition causing blood glucose wax remaining at the bottom of the pumpkin beforeto rise) at 75, which puts its ability to increase blood Betsy NunnJim & Bobbi Jeen Olson giving it to your horse. sugar on the relatively low side of things, especially as Robert PiekowBill Robertsit tends to be eaten only in small doses and not very FEEDING IDEAS often. So even if a horse has a metabolic disorder or Alan RockmanBob Roloff You can incorporate pumpkin into horsey snacks! high blood sugar and is on a restricted diet, pumpkin John SamsillHank Sheffer Just some oats, molasses, sugar, and pumpkin is still pretty safe to give to them.baked together can make for an easy and Buddy UldriksonMichele Wilson yummy treat.You can even use canned pumpkin 801 W. Wickenburg Way from a grocery store, although you will want to check out the Wickenburg, AZ 85390 ingredients to make sure its pretty much pure pumpkin, with no (602) 254-6644 added sugars, spices, or anything else that may upset their stomachs. ArizonaRealCountry.com It should be remembered that it is an addition and a treat. Pumpkin should not replace any part of their diet and should not be given daily.You can leave a pumpkin in their field orPumpkins are a great source of nutrients. They stable and just let them play and chew on their newcontain high levels of:boredom buster. It's mentally stimulating for them Vitamin A: for vision, bone growth, reproduction, Follow Arizona Realto roll around a pumpkin and figure out how to biteand cell division. into it! Vitamin E: necessary for muscle functioning. It also Country for news, events,assists in the formation of red blood cells.Plus you will want to make sure the stem is removed Carotenes: convert into vitamin A inside the body giveaways and more! to reduce the risk of injury (scratching or stabbingand helps with developing eyes/vision and strong themselves) and ingestion (unlike the flesh, rind, andbones.Arizona Real Country is owned andseeds, the stem of a pumpkin can pose safety concerns Fatty acids: are necessary components that are to a horses teeth, tongue, throat, and digestive systemexcellent for heart health.published by Barna Broadcastingand so should be avoided if possible).Fiber: is known to help aid in digestion.LLC. No person, organization or party Minerals: like calcium, copper, and phosphorus can copy or reproduce the contentRather than giving a horse a whole pumpkin, though,are part of a bodys essential nutrients for healthy on our website and/or magazine orconsider slicing it up into chunks or halves to makefunctioning.any part of this publication withoutit easier to eat. If you are only feeding your horse Vitamin B3: produces energy for the body anda written consent from the editorspumpkin in small quantities, you do not run thethe cells (niacin).panel and the author of the content, asrisk of accidentally upsetting their digestion. Its Vitamin B9: is necessary for DNA and asrecommended you stick to only a few cups a dayan important component in other geneticapplicable. The publisher, authors and and not every day for a long period, either. Plus,materials (folate).contributors reserve their rights withpumpkin is harder to come by outside of the fallThe flesh and shell of the pumpkin are also thought to regards to copyright of their work. season and your horse may grow to miss their usualbe anti-parasitic! carrots or apples! continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com October 2020 5"