Last updated: October 3, 2026
My grandkids like handing carrots to our horses, and sooner or later they ask about whatever snack is in their own hands: a rice cake, a cookie, a piece of sandwich, you name it. It’s easy to let them share it, and it seems harmless until you stop and think about what’s in that snack.
Here’s the human food I’d feed, what I’d leave alone, and straight answers on rice, rice cakes, cookies, Oreos, and spinach.
Table of Contents
Can Horses Eat Rice Cakes and Rice?
If you’ve got a plain rice cake in the pantry, a few broken-up pieces aren’t a problem for most healthy horses. Stick with plain, unsalted ones. Chocolate, caramel, cheese, and other flavored rice cakes add sugar, salt, and sometimes ingredients that don’t belong in a horse.
Plain rice isn’t toxic either. Rice is a cereal grain, and rice bran shows up in plenty of horse feeds. A small amount of plain cooked rice is unlikely to hurt a healthy adult horse, but there’s really no reason to make it a regular treat, because it’s mostly extra starch. Skip seasoned rice altogether. It may contain onion, garlic, sauces, butter, and a lot more salt than you want your horse eating. Starch matters most for horses with insulin resistance, and UConn Extension recommends limiting sugar and starch for insulin-resistant horses, down to cutting out fruit treats.
What Human Foods Can Horses Eat?
Fruits and vegetables are the best human foods for horses, and I’ve covered those in detail in my guide to fruits and vegetables horses can and can’t eat. Beyond the produce aisle, a few plain pantry foods make reasonable occasional treats too.
| Food | How to feed it |
|---|---|
| Plain rice cakes | A few broken-up pieces. Skip flavored, coated, or heavily salted versions. |
| Plain Cheerios | A small handful of the original kind, not frosted or chocolate. |
| Rolled oats | A little plain, dry oatmeal. It’s the same grain horses get in their feed. |
| Unsweetened applesauce | A spoonful, handy for hiding medication. |
| Peppermints | One or two now and then. Plenty of horses get one after a ride or job, but they’re sugary, so skip them for metabolic horses. |
| Sugar cubes | One now and then. Same sugar caution as peppermints. |
One thing worth keeping in mind is that “not toxic” doesn’t mean “good treat.” It helps to sort human food into three groups: reasonable occasional treats like the ones above, foods that won’t poison a horse but aren’t worth feeding, and foods to keep away from horses entirely. Treats are extras, not part of the feed program. The diet itself should be built on forage, which I cover in my guide to what horses eat.
Can Horses Eat Cookies or Oreos?
I wouldn’t feed either one. A bite of a plain cookie that gets dropped in the barn aisle is unlikely to bother a healthy adult horse, but cookies are mostly sugar, fat, and flour, so they’re a poor treat. Oreos and other chocolate cookies are worse, because cocoa contains theobromine and caffeine. Don’t feed them on purpose, and call your vet if a horse gets into a substantial amount of chocolate.
If your horse races or shows, there’s an even better reason to keep chocolate away. Caffeine and theobromine are regulated under racing and competition drug rules, and the details vary by jurisdiction and organization. The Illinois Racing Board, for example, treats theobromine above a set urine level as a Class 4 drug and caffeine above its level as a Class 2 drug. And relatively small amounts can matter in testing. In an Ohio State study, horses fed a vending-machine pack of peanut M&Ms daily had detectable caffeine and theobromine. In a racing barn, a cookie isn’t worth that risk.
Human Foods Horses Shouldn’t Eat
| Food | Why to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Chocolate, brownies, and anything with cocoa | Contains theobromine and caffeine, which can make horses sick and cause drug-test problems. |
| Coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks | Caffeine is a stimulant and regulated in competition. |
| Leftovers made with onion or garlic | Pizza, pasta sauce, seasoned rice, and the like. Large amounts of onion and garlic can damage red blood cells. |
| Avocado and guacamole | Avocado has been linked to heart damage, swelling, and colic in horses. |
| Green or sprouted potatoes and peelings | Green and sprouted potatoes contain alkaloids that can cause colic, diarrhea, and weakness. |
Avocado is the one people don’t expect. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes reports of myocardial injury, mastitis, and colic in horses that have ingested avocado fruit or leaves. Potatoes are more nuanced than you’ll often read. According to EQUUS, a ripe potato or tomato won’t poison a horse, but green, rotting, or sprouted potatoes and the plants’ leaves contain dangerous alkaloids, so kitchen scraps aren’t the place to get rid of old potatoes.
Then there’s the in-between group: foods that won’t poison a horse but aren’t worth feeding. Cookies, bread, plain rice, chips, french fries, and dairy all belong here. Bread is doughy and starchy, chips and fries are mostly fat and salt, and milk and rich dairy foods can upset the gut. A piece of carrot or apple is a better choice every time.
Do Horses Eat Spinach?
Some will, and a few leaves are unlikely to bother a healthy horse. Spinach isn’t a treat I’d go looking for, though. It contains oxalates, and horses can run into problems when they eat large amounts of oxalate-rich plants. Many horses aren’t very interested in it anyway. If your horse likes greens, a little celery or cucumber is a simpler choice, and forage should still do the real work in the diet.
How Much Human Food Can You Give a Horse?
Keep treats small enough that they stay treats, not a meaningful part of the daily ration. Cut firm foods into manageable pieces, introduce anything new gradually, and don’t hand over a big serving of something your horse has never had. Sudden feed changes and large amounts of unfamiliar food can upset the digestive system and raise the risk of colic. That’s how a nice gesture turns into an unnecessary call to the vet.
For an overweight, insulin-resistant, or laminitis-prone horse, I’d be much more conservative with anything sugary, including peppermints, sugar cubes, carrots, and apples. My article on what causes founder in horses explains why that matters. If you’d like full control over what goes in, homemade horse treats are an easy option.
When kids help at the barn, have them offer treats on a flat, open palm and stay right there with them. Some horses are polite about treats. Others are quick, and little fingers are easy to catch.
Human Food for Horses FAQs
Can humans eat horse treats?
A small bite probably isn’t going to hurt a healthy person, but horse treats are made and labeled for animals, not people. Their ingredients and manufacturing standards aren’t meant for human food, so I wouldn’t make a habit of eating them.
What should I do if my horse ate chocolate?
A small accidental bite is unlikely to cause trouble for a healthy adult horse, but call your vet if the horse got into a substantial amount, especially dark chocolate or baking cocoa. If the horse races or shows, let your vet and trainer know, since chocolate can affect drug testing.
Can horses eat bread?
It’s best to skip it. Bread won’t poison a horse, but it’s starchy and doughy and doesn’t offer anything a horse needs, and starchy snacks aren’t a good idea for horses prone to laminitis.
Can horses eat peanut butter?
A small amount isn’t toxic, and some people use a dab to hide medication. It’s high in fat and doesn’t do much for a horse, so there are better treat choices.
Sharing an occasional treat is one of the small pleasures of owning a horse. Keep it simple: a carrot, an apple slice, or a few pieces of a plain rice cake beat cookies, chocolate, or whatever happens to be in a lunchbox. If you’re not sure about something, there’s no reason to take the chance. Your horse will be just as happy with a carrot.
About Miles Henry
Racehorse Owner & Author | 30+ Years in Thoroughbred Racing
Miles Henry (legal name: William Bradley) is a professional horseman based in Folsom, Louisiana. He holds Louisiana Racing License #67012 and has spent over three decades managing Thoroughbreds at premier tracks including Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, and Evangeline Downs.
Expertise & Hands-On Experience: Beyond the track, Miles has decades of experience in specialized equine care, covering everything from hoof health and nutrition to training protocols for Quarter Horses, Friesians, and Paints. Every guide on Horse Racing Sense is rooted in this “boots-on-the-ground” perspective.
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