Can horses eat bread?
Better not: horses shouldn’t eat bread. The German Animal Welfare Federation says bread is unhealthy for horses. The same organization elsewhere calls hard, mold-free bread suitable, and Rutgers allows bread in limited amounts, so we err on the side of caution.
Good to know: Never feed anything moldy (Penn State Extension), and Rutgers also rules out bread containing chocolate or poppy seeds.
Better choices, for example
Sources
- Deutscher Tierschutzbund – Reitstall-Check (Broschüre)
- Deutscher Tierschutzbund – Die Haltung von Pferden (Broschüre)
- Rutgers Equine Science Center – Fact Sheet #062: Odd Things that Horses Eat (reviewed 2004)
- Penn State Extension – Trick or Treat: Things to Think About when Giving Your Horse a Treat
Last checked: October 2026