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Questions
Can dogs eat horse meat? Yes. Properly sourced horse meat can be included as part of a dog's diet, and because it is uncommon in most New Zealand commercial dog foods, it may also be a genuinely novel protein for many dogs.
Our horse meat is particularly simple: 100% boneless, unminced horse meat cubes.
That makes it useful when you want control over exactly which animal protein you are putting in the bowl.
But there is an important distinction.
Boneless horse meat is not a complete diet by itself. It provides muscle meat but not the edible bone, organs and other nutrients required to build an appropriately balanced long-term raw diet.
This guide explains how horse meat fits into raw feeding, what “novel protein” actually means, why horse is often considered a lean red meat and how to use it sensibly.
Looking for the food? Shop our Horse Meat for Dogs NZ or explore our Wild & Novel Protein collection.
Yes.
Horse meat can be fed to dogs in the same practical way as other raw red meats when it has been appropriately sourced, processed and stored.
Our horse product contains:
100% boneless horse meat cubes.
There is:
no bone;
no organ;
no chicken;
no beef;
no lamb; and
no mixed animal protein.
That simplicity can be particularly useful for raw feeders who prefer to build meals themselves or want to introduce one clearly identified animal protein at a time.
For many dogs, yes.
But a novel protein is simply an animal protein your individual dog has not eaten before.
It is not a permanent nutritional category.
If your dog has spent most of its life eating foods based on chicken, beef, lamb and fish, horse may genuinely be novel.
If your dog has already eaten:
horse meat;
horse mince;
horse-based dog food;
horse treats; or
mixed foods containing horse,
then it is no longer new to that dog.
That distinction becomes particularly important if you are investigating a suspected food reaction.
You can compare horse with goat, possum, hare, kangaroo, venison and other less-common options in our Novel Proteins for Dogs NZ Guide.
Not automatically.
Horse is sometimes marketed as a “hypoallergenic” dog-food protein because relatively few dogs have eaten it previously.
The more accurate description is less commonly fed or potentially novel.
No animal protein can be guaranteed not to cause a reaction in every dog.
Veterinary investigation of a genuine food allergy usually involves a carefully controlled elimination diet using an appropriate novel protein or hydrolysed protein.
The important part is that the dog has not previously eaten the ingredients being used.
Treats, chews, table scraps, supplements and flavoured medications can all interfere with an elimination trial.
The Merck Veterinary Manual provides useful veterinary guidance on novel-protein and elimination diets.
If your dog has persistent itching, recurring ear problems or ongoing digestive symptoms, speak with your veterinarian rather than assuming horse—or any particular protein—will fix the underlying problem.
Horse meat is generally considered a relatively lean red meat.
Published research reviewing horse meat composition has reported relatively low levels of intramuscular fat alongside animal protein, iron and other naturally occurring nutrients.
You can read the review here:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.12.006
However, nutritional composition still varies according to the animal, cut and finished product.
That is why we prefer to describe horse meat as naturally lean rather than attach a universal fat percentage to every horse product.
If controlling dietary fat is important for your dog, use the nutritional analysis of the particular food whenever one is available.
Horse meat is a red meat and provides high-quality animal protein along with naturally occurring nutrients such as:
iron;
vitamin B12;
vitamin B6; and
niacin.
Those nutrients have normal nutritional roles within the body, but that does not mean horse meat should be treated as a supplement or health treatment.
It is simply another nutrient-containing animal protein.
The nutritional value of the whole diet remains more important than any one meat.
Some dogs may tolerate horse very well.
But “sensitive stomach” covers a huge range of issues, and horse meat should not be treated as a cure for digestive problems.
A dog may appear to improve after changing proteins because:
a previously troublesome ingredient was removed;
the overall fat level changed;
the new food has fewer ingredients;
feeding quantities changed; or
several things changed at once.
If you are troubleshooting mild food tolerance issues, keeping the diet simple can make it easier to see what your dog handles well.
Our horse meat's single-ingredient format can help with that.
For a broader look at digestive food choices, read our Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs NZ Guide.
Persistent vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss, pain or other significant gastrointestinal symptoms should be investigated by a veterinarian.
Horse can be a useful meat to consider when you are deliberately choosing leaner proteins.
But one lean ingredient does not automatically make the entire diet low in fat.
The final fat level depends on everything else in the bowl.
This is particularly important for dogs with medical conditions such as pancreatitis, where dietary requirements should be determined with your veterinarian.
Our Pancreatitis in Dogs NZ – Low-Fat Dog Food Guide explains this distinction in more detail.
Horse should be considered an ingredient within the overall feeding plan rather than a treatment for pancreatitis or another medical condition.
No.
This is probably the most important part of this guide.
Our horse meat is:
100% boneless muscle meat.
That makes it a straightforward protein source, but muscle meat alone does not provide every nutrient required for long-term feeding.
In particular, boneless meat does not provide the calcium supplied by edible bone.
An appropriately planned raw diet may include suitable amounts of:
muscle meat;
edible bone or another properly formulated calcium source;
organs;
essential fatty acids; and
any other nutrients required to make the overall diet appropriate for the individual dog.
Exactly how those components are provided depends on the feeding approach you use.
For a practical overview, start with our Raw Dog Feeding Guide NZ.
Both provide horse meat, but the format is different.
Our horse is supplied as boneless, unminced pieces of meat.
This suits raw feeders who prefer visible whole-cut meat and want to know exactly what part of the meal they are adding.
Horse mince has been mechanically minced into smaller pieces.
Depending on the supplier, a mince may be:
boneless meat;
meat and fat;
meat and organ;
meat, bone and organ; or
a mixed-animal product.
The word “mince” does not tell you the nutritional composition.
Always check the ingredient list.
Our product contains only boneless horse meat cubes.
These terms sound similar but mean very different things.
There is only one listed ingredient.
Our horse product contains one ingredient: horse meat.
All animal-derived ingredients come from the same species.
Our horse product is also single-species.
This describes the nutritional adequacy of the finished diet.
A single-ingredient meat cannot be assumed to provide everything a dog requires simply because the ingredient itself is nutritious.
So our horse meat is single ingredient and single animal species, but it is complementary food rather than a complete standalone diet.
Traceability matters with all meat used for pet food.
It is particularly relevant with animals such as horses because animals may receive veterinary treatments during their lives.
New Zealand has rules covering pet food, animal feed and veterinary medicines, including requirements intended to ensure products remain fit for purpose and do not create unacceptable risks.
MPI provides current information about pet-food requirements here:
That is another reason to buy pet food through a controlled commercial supply chain rather than feeding meat of uncertain origin.
There is no special feeding percentage just for horse.
For many healthy adult raw-fed dogs, around 2–3% of ideal adult body weight per day is commonly used as a starting estimate for the dog's total food intake.
It does not mean feeding 2–3% of body weight in boneless horse meat alone.
Actual requirements depend on:
age;
activity;
metabolism;
ideal body weight;
current body condition;
neuter status; and
the energy density of the overall diet.
Use our Raw Dog Food Feeding Calculator NZ for a practical starting point.
Then monitor your dog's body condition and adjust as necessary.
If your dog already eats raw food, introduce horse simply.
Add a modest amount of horse to an otherwise familiar meal.
Avoid introducing several other new foods at the same time.
Increase the amount gradually if your dog remains comfortable.
Watch appetite, stools and general condition.
Make sure the complete meal remains nutritionally appropriate.
If horse is being used as part of a veterinarian-guided elimination diet, follow that specific plan instead.
A normal food transition and a diagnostic elimination diet are not the same thing.
Horse meat can be included as an ingredient in an appropriately formulated puppy diet.
However, boneless horse meat alone is not a complete puppy food.
Growing dogs have specific requirements for:
energy;
protein;
calcium;
phosphorus;
essential fats; and
other vitamins and minerals.
Incorrect mineral balance during growth can have significant consequences, particularly in larger breeds.
Puppies therefore need an appropriately formulated overall feeding plan rather than simply an adult raw ratio scaled down.
Horse meat can be fed regularly where it forms part of a nutritionally appropriate overall diet.
The question is not really:
“Can my dog eat horse every day?”
It is:
“Does everything my dog eats across the day and over time provide the nutrition they need?”
A dog eating several different proteins can still have an unbalanced diet.
Equally, using one protein regularly does not automatically make a diet inappropriate if the complete nutritional requirements are being met.
Balance comes from the entire diet.
There is no universally best novel protein.
Each has slightly different practical advantages.
Boneless, lean red meat supplied as large whole-cut pieces. Particularly useful when you want a simple single-ingredient protein.
Another lean boneless red meat and an uncommon protein for many Kiwi dogs.
Read our Kangaroo for Dogs NZ Guide.
Available in several formats including an 80:10:10 mince, boneless meat and organs.
Read our Goat for Dogs NZ Guide.
Available as a single-species whole-hare food containing meat, edible bone and organs.
Read our Hare for Dogs NZ Guide.
A distinctly New Zealand wild protein available in several raw-feeding formats.
Read our Possum for Dogs NZ Guide.
For the wider comparison, see our Novel Proteins for Dogs NZ Guide.
Treat raw horse meat like any other raw animal product.
Good hygiene includes:
keeping frozen food frozen until required;
thawing it in the refrigerator;
storing raw pet food separately from ready-to-eat human foods;
washing hands after handling it;
washing food bowls and utensils after use;
cleaning preparation surfaces thoroughly; and
avoiding leaving raw food somewhere warm for extended periods.
New Zealand Food Safety's review of raw meat pet food notes that raw products may contain microorganisms capable of causing illness in pets or people.
Further information:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/70305/direct
Extra care may be appropriate in households with young children, pregnant people, elderly people or people with reduced immunity.
Yes.
Properly sourced and handled horse meat can form part of an appropriately planned dog diet.
It can be if your dog has not eaten horse before.
Whether a protein is novel depends entirely on the individual dog's previous diet.
No protein can be guaranteed hypoallergenic.
Horse may be useful as a less-commonly-fed or genuinely novel protein for some dogs, particularly when selected as part of a veterinarian-guided diet trial.
Horse meat is generally characterised as a relatively lean red meat.
The precise fat content varies according to the meat and product, so use product-specific analysis when strict dietary fat control is required.
Boneless horse meat is not nutritionally complete by itself.
It needs to form part of an appropriately balanced overall feeding plan.
Our Horse Meat for Dogs does not contain bone.
It is 100% boneless horse meat cubes.
Our product does not contain organs.
They need to be provided elsewhere if your chosen raw-feeding approach requires them.
Horse can be used as one ingredient in an appropriately formulated puppy diet.
Plain boneless horse meat should not be used as a complete puppy diet by itself.
Horse may be genuinely novel for some dogs because it is uncommon in conventional pet foods.
However, proper diagnosis of food allergy requires a controlled veterinary elimination diet rather than simply switching to an unusual protein.
Horse is generally a lean meat, but dogs with pancreatitis require an appropriately controlled complete diet.
Do not assume that adding one lean protein automatically makes the overall diet suitable.
Discuss your dog's individual feeding requirements with your veterinarian.
The Raw Dog Food Co supplies frozen boneless horse meat cubes in New Zealand.
If you want a straightforward, uncommon red meat for your dog's raw-feeding programme, our horse meat contains just one ingredient:
100% boneless horse meat cubes.
Browse Wild & Novel Protein Dog Food
Read our Novel Proteins for Dogs NZ Guide
Read our Kangaroo for Dogs NZ Guide
Read our Goat for Dogs NZ Guide
Read our Hare for Dogs NZ Guide
Read our Possum for Dogs NZ Guide
Read our Raw Dog Feeding Guide NZ
Use our Raw Dog Food Feeding Calculator
If your dog has a medical condition, is growing, pregnant or lactating, or you are investigating a suspected food allergy, seek individual advice from your veterinarian or an appropriately qualified animal-nutrition professional.
Lorenzo et al. — Carcass characteristics, meat quality and nutritional value of horsemeat: A review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.12.006
Merck Veterinary Manual — Cutaneous Food Allergy in Animals
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/integumentary-system/food-allergy/cutaneous-food-allergy-in-animals
Ministry for Primary Industries — Requirements for pet food, animal feed and nutritional supplements
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/animals/pet-food-animal-feed-nutritional-supplements/requirements-for-pet-food-animal-feed-and-nutritional-supplements
New Zealand Food Safety — Microbiological Safety and Suitability of Raw Meat Petfood
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/70305/direct
an dogs eat hare? Our NZ guide explains wild hare for dogs, hare vs rabbit, novel proteins, whole-hare raw food, meat, bone and organ, plus practical feeding, sourcing and safety advice.
Can dogs eat goat? Our NZ guide explains wild goat for dogs, novel proteins, raw goat mince, boneless meat, bones and organs, plus practical feeding, sourcing and safety advice.
Can dogs eat possum? This guide to possum for dogs in NZ covers raw possum dog food, novel proteins, possum mince, bone-in chunks, nutrition, sourcing and safe raw feeding. Learn how New Zealand wild possum can fit into a varied raw diet and what to consider before feeding it to your dog.
