Horse meat for dogs in NZ

29 June 20262 min read

Short answer

Yes, dogs can eat raw horse meat. It’s a lean red meat fed the same way as beef, and because few dog foods use it, it’s a novel protein for most dogs. In our range it’s in Wild Mix, Active Dog Mix and Breeders Mix, and Wild Mix is the one with no beef.

Horse grazing in a paddock with the Auckland skyline behind

Horse is one of the red meats you’ll find in New Zealand raw dog food, and it surprises some people the first time they see it on a label. For dogs it’s simply another raw red meat, and for most of them it’s one they’ve never eaten before.

What horse meat is like

Horse is a dark, lean red meat. Raw feeders treat it the same way as beef or venison: it’s part of the muscle-meat portion of the 80/10/10 guide, alongside raw bone and organ.

Because most commercial dog food is built on chicken, beef and lamb, horse counts as a novel protein for most dogs. That’s a big part of why owners look for it. Our guide to novel proteins for dogs explains what that means and how to use one.

Horse in our range

Our horse comes in three blends, each minced together with other proteins:

Blend	What’s in it	Good to know
Wild Mix	Horse, goat, venison and alpaca, with offal	No beef, chicken, lamb, fish or tripe
Active Dog Mix	Beef, horse, offal and green tripe	Made with busy, active dogs in mind
Breeders Mix	Beef, horse, goat and offal	Built for multi-dog homes and volume feeding

If you want horse for a dog that stays off beef, Wild Mix is the one. Active Dog Mix and Breeders Mix both contain beef as well, which suits dogs that already eat it.

Bones to go with it

Match the bone to the rest of the diet. For a dog on Wild Mix with no beef, Goat Bones (when we have them) keep everything beef-free. For a dog on Active Dog Mix or Breeders Mix, beef brisket or neck bones fit naturally. Our guide to which raw bones dogs can eat has the full pairing table.

Introducing horse

Treat it like any new protein. Mix a little in with your dog’s current food and increase it over about a week, changing one thing at a time. If your dog is new to raw altogether, our guide to switching to raw walks through it.

Horse meat questions

Is horse a good option for dogs that can’t have beef or chicken?

It’s one of the most useful ones. Wild Mix gives you horse with goat, venison and alpaca, and none of the common proteins. If your vet has suggested an elimination diet, follow their plan, as a single protein is usually easier for that than a blend.