🐴 Feeding Bread to Horses: Harmless or Harmful? Vet Guidance for 2025 🍞⚠️

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

We all enjoy sharing treats with our animals—but is bread a safe snack for your horse? In 2025, it’s time to separate facts from tradition. Let’s explore the nutritional reality of feeding bread to horses and when it might actually cause harm. 🧠🐎

🍞 Is Bread Toxic to Horses?

Surprisingly, plain wheat-based bread is not toxic to horses. The ingredients—wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water—are generally safe in small amounts. 🧂🌾

In fact, in parts of Europe, it’s common to feed surplus bread to livestock, including horses. But being “safe” doesn't mean it’s healthy—or balanced. ✅❌

⚖️ Why Bread Is Nutritionally Imbalanced

Bread may be palatable, but it’s low in several nutrients essential for equine health:

• 📉 Low in calcium
• ⚠️ High in phosphorus—which blocks calcium absorption
• 🍃 Deficient in vitamins A, D, and E
• ⚙️ Low in essential trace minerals like copper, zinc, and selenium

This imbalance can disrupt the horse’s total diet—especially if bread is fed regularly. Over time, this can lead to weakened bones due to calcium depletion. 🦴

🍩 High in Starch, Low in Protein

Bread is also:

• 🍬 High in starch, which can spike insulin levels
• 🥚 Low in protein—inadequate for growing or working horses

This is especially concerning for horses with:

• ⚠️ Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)
• ⚠️ Insulin resistance (IR)

In these horses, high-starch treats like bread could trigger laminitis or founder. 🚨

🧪 How Bread Skews the Diet

Anytime you feed something not formulated for horses—like bread, pastries, or cereals—it alters the nutrient ratios in the overall diet. This can result in:

• 📉 Deficient or imbalanced vitamin/mineral intake
• 🧠 Increased risk of skeletal issues or metabolic flare-ups
• 🧃 Lack of fiber needed for healthy digestion

Even occasional use should be monitored, especially in horses on simple hay-only diets. 🌿

✅ When Bread Might Be Used (Sparingly)

If you want to offer a small cube of plain white bread as a treat:

• 🍞 Keep it to a few small pieces per week
• ❄️ Avoid feeding moldy, stale, or flavored bread
• 🚫 Never feed raisin bread—raisins can be toxic to horses

NEVER replace regular feed or hay with bread. It's a treat, not a staple. 🥄

📲 Ask A Vet About Safe Treats

Want treat ideas that are safe for insulin-resistant or performance horses? Visit AskAVet.com or use the Ask A Vet App to get custom recommendations for healthy, balanced horse snacks. 📱🐴

Dr Duncan Houston and the team can review your horse’s full nutrition plan and suggest safe alternatives. 💬🧠

🏁 Final Thoughts

In 2025, we know bread is not toxic—but also not ideal. Feed it very occasionally in small amounts, and only if your horse doesn’t have metabolic or orthopedic risk factors. Safer and more nutritious treats are always available. 🐴🍎

Need a healthy horse treat list or EMS-safe snack guide? Visit AskAVet.com to download now 🧪🌿