Click to Skip Ahead
Yes and no. Horses can certainly eat corn when properly prepared, but it should be removed from the cob. There is so much you need to know before you think of sharing corn with your horse, especially if cob is involved. Swallowing a big piece of cob itself can lead to choke or impaction colic, both of which require urgent veterinary attention. Corn on its own is neither toxic nor poisonous, but it is rich in starch and may be contaminated with mold, predisposing to serious health issues. Continue reading to find you more information.
What Does Corn Contain?
Corn is a widespread ingredient in many livestock feeds. Even though it doesn’t contain the majority of the essential amino acids, it boasts a high carotene content that horses use to produce the crucial vitamin A for optimal vision.
Corn has a lower fiber but a higher starch content as compared to other grains such as oats. Furthermore, it can produce twice as much energy produced by oats per volume. For this reason, be very careful with your horse’s weight, especially when they do not have an effective way of utilizing the extra energy.
The grain has a low amount of calcium, and approximately 75% of its phosphorus is bound to phytate. This means it is not readily available, which further compromises calcium availability. The scarcity implies that you will have to exploit other sources of calcium.
Corn generally has the same ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 as corn oil, with an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 49:1. Thus, it would be best to feed your horse with a good quality forage to offset this ratio.
What Type of Corn Is Safe for Horses?
It would help if you were very careful when feeding horses with corn. It’s important to avoid the cob because the horses are highly likely to choke. Unlike choking in human beings, which is caused by food entering the airway, horses choke when food sticks in the esophagus. This emergency will require your vet’s intervention. With all the other feeds available, giving horses corn on the cob is not really necessary, especially now that it poses a serious health threat. Besides choke, swallowing a piece of cob may also lead to an impaction and colic, which can be life threatening.
Processed corn is safe and easy to digest for horses. You can also provide alternatives like cracked corn, steam-flaked, or rolled corn. When feeding horses with corn, be very careful to avoid overfeeding, particularly when you substitute volume for volume with oats. Flaking corn before feeding makes it easier for them to digest.
Processing corn also improves its utilization, but unfortunately, it predisposes the corn to molds that contain mycotoxins, such as fumonisin, causing serious neurological and sometimes fatal illness called leukoencephalomalacia. It’s important to note that of all the feeds given to horses, corn is the one that is most often contaminated.
When quality corn is fed correctly in a well-balanced diet with adequate fiber, it fits horses’ nutritional requirements and is safe.
Why Should Horses Not Eat Corn on the Cob?
Older horses will always have difficulties when consuming corn due to dentition issues. An old horse or one with poor dental health will have challenges chewing corn on the cob, which might compromise digestion and predispose to choking and colic.
Consider feeding your horse with easy-to-chew and digestible food. Since corn is rich in starch, avoid feeding obese or less active horses as it will worsen weight issues. Corn is also not good for horses with insulin resistance and equine metabolic syndrome as this will interfere with blood sugar levels, which is dangerous.
How to Feed Corn to a Horse?
You can steam-flake, crack, or roll corn and add it to a mixture before feeding. It is not advisable to use corn as the sole grain for horses due to its high starch content. You can mix the corn with other grains to balance the amount of starch your horse gets.
Processing has been effective in reducing the amount of fermented starch in a horse’s intestines. It disrupts the structure of starch, making it more vulnerable to digestive enzymes in the intestines. Also, consider using commercial corn from reputable producers since it is tested for mycotoxins.
Which Horses Should Eat Corn?
Corn is a palatable grain that provides a lot of energy, making it ideal for horses to maintain excellent body condition. This is especially true for horses with a high level of activity, such as working and performing horses. As mentioned above, all obese and insulin-resistant horses should not be fed corn, and cob should never be offered to horses.
What Other Concerns Should You Have When Feeding Horses With Corn?
Corn is susceptible to molds that produce mycotoxins. Since the toxins do not reduce the palatability of corn, they will eventually end up in your horse’s body. This might have adverse consequences on their health.
Fumonisin toxin causes a neurological condition known as moldy corn disease that causes degeneration of the brain’s white matter, resulting in loss of vision, altered coordination of various functions, and death.
Some toxins are produced while corn is growing and are dependent on harvesting, handling, and storage. It is important to note that hay and any other kind of grain will become moldy if not properly stored. For this reason, it is advisable to acquire your corn from reputable commercial suppliers who frequently test their corn to exclude toxin contamination.
Starch is usually digested in the small intestine; with excessive corn, starch will surpass the small intestine and enter the large intestine without digestion. This will negatively impact the balance of normal flora that is required to digest fiber. When converted by microflora to volatile fatty acids and lactic acid, it can result in diarrhea, colic, and laminitis.
Cost Concerns
Corn is a more starch-packed feed than other options like oats. However, there is a concern that since it is a raw material in the production of biofuel, there will always be competition on whether to channel it to animal feeds or the making of organic fuel. When the demand for biofuel increases, corn prices will limit its availability as a livestock feed. Consequently, this is going to increase the cost of all feeds used for livestock production.
Summary
Corn without the cob can be a good meal for your horse when given in good modulation. We should feed our horses with processed commercial meals without the cob to minimize choking and ensure they quickly and efficiently digest their meals.
Related reads:
