How to Feed a Horse Carrots

Horses have always loved to eat carrots, and people have always loved to feed carrots to them. Any time food is offered to a horse from a person's hand, a few basic guidelines should be followed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Carrots

1. Slice several carrots lengthwise, into "fingers." Carrots should never be fed in chunks because they can lodge in a horse's throat and cause suffocation.
2. Insist that the horse displays good manners. He should not rush you or crowd you when he sees that you have carrots in your hand or pocket.
3. Spread your hand out flat, palm up. Be careful not to let your fingertips roll up. It is best if you arch your palm slightly backward, with your fingertips bent toward the ground.
4. Place one carrot finger in your palm.
5. Put your hand a few feet away from the horse's mouth. The horse should extend his neck to get to your palm. Never let the horse overpower you with his head, shoulders and body when he eats the carrot.
6. Let the horse finish the carrot. Don't put another carrot on the palm of your hand until he has chewed the first piece. This will encourage him to eat slowly. He'll be tempted to wolf down the first carrot if he thinks he can hurry on to the second piece.

Tips & Warnings

• Letting small children feed carrots to a horse is acceptable, but caution must be exercised. Let the child place her flattened hand, palm up, in your flattened hand. Tell the child that she must always keep her fingernails against your palm when she is feeding the horse. Lay the carrot on the child's palm, which is nestled into your palm, and invite the horse to eat.
• Horses' jaws are powerful, and their teeth are enormous. In a split second, a horse can bite through a finger, bone and all. Don't feed carrots to strange, irritable or wild horses.