Horses and goats make excellent friends. With horses being so curious, it is only a matter of time before they break into the rooms where feed is stored. Thus, it is only natural to ask yourself: can horses eat goat feed?
Horses cannot eat goat feed. Most cattle feed, including many goat feeds, included an ingredient called monensin sodium (common trade name Rumensin) that causes cardiac failure in horses. Horses that may survive are irreducibly damaged. Any feed given to horses must be monensin-free.
Since horses cannot eat goat feed due to monensin sodium, you might be tempted to give your goat horse feed. However, goats can’t eat most horse feeds. Also, monensin prevents certain diseases in goats. It is important to understand what minerals both horses and goats can eat and why some cause harm.
Why Goat Feed Is Toxic to Horses
Monensin, often traded under Rumensin, is a common ingredient in cattle feed. It helps cattle produce more milk and prevents coccidiosis, a condition rare in horses but potentially deadly to goats. However, in horses, monensin impacts cells’ ability to transport sodium and potassium, leading to ionophore toxicity. This causes heart failure in horses.
Symptoms of Monensin Toxicity in Horses
Horse owners should know the symptoms of monensin toxicity in horses even if they don’t own goats or other cattle. Your horse feed could be contaminated due to factory error, or your horse escaped, wandering into a neighboring farm where goat and cattle feed is present.
Signs of monensin toxicity include:
- Fatigue
- Colic
- Abdominal pain
- Prominent jugular pulse
- Diarrhea
- Muscle weakness
- Cold extremities
- Sweating
- Congested or pale mucous membranes
- Dark urine
- Increased urine
- Shortness of breath and/or rapid breathing
- Struggle or inability to stand
- Cardiac Failure
Please note, there is no cure for monensin toxicity. However, there are some treatments that may save your horse’s life. If you suspect your horse has monensin toxicity, contact your vet immediately.
Why Horse Feed is Bad for Goats
Horse feed is not suitable for your goat. While it is not as dangerous as giving horse’s goat feed, horse feed is high in copper. Too much copper in goats is toxic. Copper poisoning hurts the liver, and signs include sweet-smelling, colored urine.
Thus, you might be tempted to give your goat a monensin-free goat feed in order to protect your horse. However, this runs the risk of your goat contracting coccidiosis, a parasite that enjoys living in the intestines of goats. While small amounts of the parasite may cause no adverse effects, a significant case can cause diarrhea and other problems.
Keeping Your Horse Out of the Goat Feed
Goat and cattle feed should always be kept away from your horse. Similarly, even goats should not have access to their stored feed, as they will overeat. Nor do you want your goat eating your horse feed. Therefore, you need to ensure that all feed is kept in locked containers.
A basic trashcan lid will not be enough to deter a goat. Nor do you want a container that a horse can knock over. Many horses are clever enough to lift a lid.
If you can’t find a tub strong enough to keep your goat and horse out, get creative. Some people have used broken-down chest freezers and commercial ice makers for feed storage. Add a padlock, and this should keep your mischievous animals out.
If your animals are proving too clever, you may want to consider storing their feed in a location they can’t access, such as your house. The place must be cool and dry. Do make sure any household pets, such as dogs and cats, can’t access the food. Keep an eye out for vermin, such as rats.
Also, remember to keep your horse’s lick in its stall, away from the goat. Keep the goat’s lick where the horse can’t get to it. If this proves difficult, consider using a food supplement instead, adding it to the animal’s daily feed.
Horse feed vs. Goat feed
Since horses and goats can’t eat the same commercial feed, you might wonder what other foods they can share.
| Types of Feed | Fine for Horses | Fine for Goats |
| Hay | Yes | Yes |
| Alfalfa | Yes | Yes |
| Pasture | Yes | Yes |
| Chaffhaye | Yes | Yes |
| Oats | Yes, but it often requires soaking. | Yes |
| Corn | Generally, avoid fresh or cracked corn and stick to what is in their feed. | Yes, in small amounts. |
| Beet Pulp | Yes, preferably soaked. | Yes |
| Black Oil Sunflower Seeds | Yes | Yes |
| Salt Lick | Yes | Yes |
| Kelp Meal | Yes, but keep an eye on iodine levels. | Yes |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | Yes | Yes |
Is Goat Mineral Safe for Horses?
Horses and goats both need minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. However, horses and goats require different amounts and ratios. Thus, it is best to keep the animal’s mineral supplements and licks apart from each other.
What You Should Never Feed Your Horse
In addition to not giving your horse goat feed, there are other foods you should avoid.
- Chocolate
- Avocados
- Caffeine
- Potatoes and other nightshades
- Garlic and onions
- Lawn clippings
- Dog and cat food
- Dairy
- Persimmons
- Tomatoes
What you Should Never Feed Your Goat
- Chocolate
- Avocados
- Azaleas
- Nightshades
- Garlic and onions
- Rhubarb leaves
- Meat
- Dairy
- Dog and cat food
- Lilacs
For more information on what plants are poisonous to goats, visit this link: http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/goatlist.html
Feeding Your Horse and Goat Fruits
Horses and goats both love fruit as a treat. Below are some safe fruits for both horses and goats in small, snack-size quantities.
- Apples, sliced, and pips removed.
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Watermelon
- Peaches, with stone removed.
- Pumpkin
- Pears
- Cantaloupe
- Apricots, with stone removed.
Feeding Your Horse and Goat Vegetables
Like fruits, there are many vegetables your horse and goat can both eat as treats.
- Carrots, preferably chopped to suit the animal’s size.
- Celery
- Beets
- Cucumber, preferably chopped to suit the animal’s size.
- Turnips
- Spinach
- Parsnip
- Radishes
- Lettuce
Conclusion
Horses and goats can make great companions and share a pasture. There are even foods they can share. However, horses should not be fed goat feed, and goats should not be fed horse feed. Also, while horses and goats can be fed similar treats and minerals, the quantiles might be vastly different.
2026 safety update: check the label, not the animal name
“Goat feed” is not one standardized formula. Some feeds are medicated with an ionophore for the target species, while others are not. Because horses are highly susceptible to ionophore toxicity, never assume a goat, cattle, or poultry feed is safe based on a small taste or a shared pasture. Read the complete label and ask your veterinarian before feeding anything intended for another species.
If a horse may have eaten medicated livestock feed, call your veterinarian or an animal poison service immediately. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try home treatment. The University of Arizona notes that ionophore poisoning can damage the heart and that horses are particularly sensitive; the FDA likewise warns that monensin can be toxic and potentially lethal to horses even though it is approved for cattle and goats when used as directed.
Related feeding guides
- Can a horse live on hay or grass alone?
- Equine nutrition basics for horse owners
- How much weight can a horse carry safely?
Frequently asked questions
Can horses eat goat feed?
They should not be fed goat feed unless the complete label has been checked and an equine veterinarian confirms that it is appropriate. Some goat feeds contain ionophores that are dangerous to horses.
What should I do if my horse ate goat feed?
Call your veterinarian immediately with the product name, ingredient label, estimated amount, and time of exposure. Do not wait for signs of illness or attempt treatment at home.
Is monensin safe for goats but toxic to horses?
Monensin can be used in goats at approved, labeled doses, but horses are a highly sensitive off-target species. A feed being safe for goats does not make it safe for horses.
Can goats eat horse feed?
Do not share complete feeds between species without professional guidance. Horse and goat diets have different nutrient and mineral requirements, and the correct product depends on the individual animal and forage program.
Sources
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: Ionophore Toxicity in Horses
FDA: Monensin use in cattle and goats and toxicity warnings for horses
https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-news-goat-food-lethal
https://www.vetfolio.com/learn/article/toxicology-brief-ionophore-toxicosis-in-horses
https://www.equisearch.com/HorseJournal/goats-as-companions
https://www.equisupermarket.co.uk/s/8-foods-you-should-never-feed-to-your-horse
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I've been around horses since I was 6 years old and started competing at the age of 9. Horses are my greatest passion and I am thrilled to be able to share my 23 (and counting) years of experience and knowledge with you.