Can Horses eat Potatoes?
Feed with extreme caution — raw or green potatoes can harm horses
Potatoes belong to the Solanaceae family, the same botanical group as deadly nightshade, and every part of the plant — leaves, stems, unripe tubers, and especially green or sprouted flesh — contains glycoalkaloids, chiefly solanine. Even a cooked, non-green potato delivers a dense starch hit that the equine hindgut struggles to handle, risking fermentation disturbances, gas colic, and laminitis. Horses with metabolic syndrome, insulin dysregulation, or Cushing's disease (PPID) should never receive potatoes at all. Healthy horses may tolerate a small amount of plain boiled or baked potato occasionally, but the risk-to-benefit ratio is poor compared with safer treat options.
Moderation Is Essential
Potatoes should only be offered to horses in small, infrequent amounts. Follow the safe feeding guidance and watch closely for any reactions.
Why are potatoes risky for horses?
Potatoes — horses.
The core hazard comes from solanine and chaconine — steroidal glycoalkaloids that accumulate in potato skin, sprouts, and any green-tinged tissue exposed to light. These compounds inhibit cholinesterase, the enzyme that degrades the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, producing a toxidrome resembling organophosphate poisoning at high enough doses: excessive salivation, muscle tremors, weakness, and in severe cases respiratory distress. The concentration of solanine in a fully ripe, properly stored white potato is relatively low, but green patches can reach levels 5–10 times higher than normal flesh. Horses tend to eat quickly and without the careful selection that might spare them the worst pieces, making exposure unpredictable.
Beyond the glycoalkaloid question, horses have a fundamentally different digestive architecture from omnivores. The equine stomach is small and relatively fast-emptying, and the cecum and large colon are responsible for fermenting fibrous material using a delicate population of microbes. A sudden bolus of rapidly fermentable starch from even a non-toxic potato can shift fermentation toward lactic-acid-producing bacteria, lowering hindgut pH and killing beneficial flora — a process that underpins both grain-induced colic and carbohydrate-induced laminitis. For horses with existing metabolic conditions, the high glycaemic load of potato starch poses an additional insulin-spiking risk that can trigger or exacerbate laminitis independently of solanine. The safest approach is to reserve potatoes as an exceedingly rare, small-quantity treat using only plain cooked flesh with skin removed, and to avoid them entirely in at-risk individuals.
Green skin, sprouts ('eyes'), and raw flesh can contain enough solanine to cause colic, neurological signs, and in extreme cases, fatal toxicosis in horses. Cooking reduces solanine somewhat but does not eliminate all risk, and starch overload remains a concern regardless.
Symptoms & progression
- Colic (abdominal pain, pawing, looking at flanks)
- Excessive salivation and drooling
- Diarrhea or loose feces
- Reduced or absent gut sounds
- Bloating or visible abdominal distension
- Muscle tremors or weakness
- Ataxia (incoordination, stumbling)
- Dilated pupils
- Depression or altered mentation
- In severe cases: recumbency and respiratory difficulty
- Digital pulses bounding in the feet
- Heat in the hooves
- Reluctance to walk or weight-shifting
- Increased heart rate
- Rings visible on hoof wall after repeated exposure
Dose & severity
The table below outlines how potato quantity relates to risk in an average 500 kg adult horse in good metabolic health. Horses with insulin dysregulation, Cushing's disease, or a history of laminitis should be treated as if no safe quantity exists.
What to do if your horse has eaten potatoes
-
1
Identify what was eaten Determine the quantity, whether the potato was raw or cooked, and whether any green skin or sprouts were present. This information is critical for your vet's risk assessment.
-
2
Remove access immediately Take the horse away from any remaining potato material and secure the feed area to prevent further ingestion.
-
3
Monitor closely for at least 6 hours Watch for signs of colic (pawing, rolling, flank-watching), abnormal gut sounds, drooling, trembling, incoordination, or hoof heat. Onset of symptoms from solanine can occur within 30 minutes to a few hours; starch-related colic may take longer.
-
4
Call your veterinarian if any symptoms appear Any colic signs, neurological symptoms, or heat in the hooves warrants immediate veterinary contact. Do not wait to see if signs resolve on their own — equine colic can escalate rapidly.
-
5
Report history of metabolic disease If your horse has insulin dysregulation, PPID/Cushing's, or a prior laminitis episode, inform your vet even if the horse appears well, as subclinical laminitis activation is a real concern after starch exposure.
-
6
Do not induce vomiting or give laxatives without guidance Horses cannot vomit, and administering mineral oil or laxatives without veterinary advice can worsen certain colic presentations.
Safe alternatives
These vegetables and fruits make safer, lower-risk treats for horses and deliver the variety and enrichment that owners want to provide.
A classic equine treat — low in sugar compared with fruit, easy to cut into safe sizes, and loved by most horses. Feed in moderation (a few medium carrots per day is fine for a healthy horse).
High palatability and horses adore them. Core and slice before feeding; limit to one or two small apples per day for horses without metabolic concerns, fewer for insulin-dysregulated individuals.
Very low in starch and sugar, crunchy, and a good source of hydration. Chop into short lengths to eliminate any choking or choke risk.
High water content, almost no starch, and well-tolerated. A good warm-weather hydration supplement and safe for metabolically sensitive horses.
Plain cooked or raw pumpkin flesh (not processed pie filling) is low in sugar, high in beta-carotene, and generally well accepted. Remove seeds and feed in small quantities.
Frequently asked questions
Can horses eat cooked potatoes, or are all forms dangerous?
My horse got into a bag of potatoes — how much solanine is actually dangerous?
Are potato plants (leaves, stalks, flowers) more dangerous than the tubers?
Sources & references
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Solanaceae Plant Poisoning in Large Animals (Reactive glycoalkaloids: solanine, chaconine)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants / Foods for Horses
- Longland AC & Byrd BM (2006) — Pasture nonstructural carbohydrates and equine laminitis, Journal of Nutrition 136(7 Suppl):2099S–2102S
- Pugh DG & Hilton WM (Eds.) — Equine Internal Medicine, Chapter on Gastrointestinal Emergencies and Colic Management
About the author: Dra. Carmen Ortega
Diplomate of veterinary nutrition focused on species-appropriate diets and preventative feeding, and lead author of our dietary guidance.
View full profile