What are the world’s largest fruits?
The largest fruits are giant pumpkins, specially grown and bred for their size. In the rural town where I live, a local farmer won a local Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest with his 1,469.5 pound pumpkin! (Photo courtesy of The Morning Call.)

It would be quite the sight to see this giant pumpkin used as a decoration at one of the fall horse shows I attend! It could BE the trail obstacle itself instead of just being used as a decoration prop.

Did you know that you can feed pumpkins to horses as a tasty seasonal treat?
The editors of EQUUS magazine say you can!

Although pumpkins are not packed with nutrients — they are about 90 percent water — they do have a sweet flavor, and some horses develop a taste for them. But stick to feeding the fruit as a treat, rather than as a significant part of your horse’s diet. In fact, it’s wise to limit pumpkin intake to two cups per day or less.

Use common sense when offering your horse pumpkin, slicing it up into small chunks to avoid choking. Also, remember that the orange pumpkins commonly sold to make jack-o’-lanterns and pies are safe for horses, but other types of autumn gourds are toxic and can cause colic, diarrhea and gastrointestinal irritation.

Need to wash up your horse after feeding him this tasty treat?
Use a wash cloth and Spray Away Horse Wash, which cleans thoroughly without scrubbing; safe and gentle enough to use every day. Also, refer back to one of our previous blog post, “How to wash your horse’s face.”

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