Horse Treats: Can They Have More Than Carrots and Apples?

#1: Select an appropriate treat size and quantity. It is important to remember that no matter how healthy the treat may be…it is still a treat! You can safely give your horse a few carrots a day without disrupting his very delicate intestinal system but please avoid the 5lb bag-o-carrots as this could bring on an unwanted bout of colic. Also keep in mind that treat has to be easily chewed into small pieces to avoid a choke episode. Always feed a very small quantity to your horse initially to make sure that the new treat does not cause and allergic reaction in your horse.

#2: Select safe healthy treats. As you experiment with new treat items it is important to check to make sure your new treat is healthy and non-toxic. In general it is best to stick with fruits and vegetables for treat choices as they are going to be healthy for your horse. Here are some suggestions for safe fruits and vegetable choices:

• Apple
• Apricot
• Banana (can be fed with the peel)
• Blackberry
• Blueberry
• Cantaloupe
• Cherry
• Coconut
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Plum
• Strawberry
• Watermelon + rind

Safe VEGETABLES:

• Beets
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Celery
• Corn
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Parsnip
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Turnip

Unsafe FRUIT:

• Avocado
• Persimmons

Unsafe VEGETABLES:

• Broccoli (?) can cause gas, otherwise feed in tiny portions
• Cauliflower (?) can cause gas, otherwise feed in tiny portions
• Any member of nightshade family (peppers, etc.)
• Onion
• Pickle
• Potato (peels are said to be toxic)
• Sweet potato (?)
• Tomato

#3: What flavors do horses prefer?

This is a very interesting part of picking new treats as horses actually have some surprising flavor preferences. According to a study from England, at the University of Southampton, fenugreek (an herb often used in curry dishes), banana and cherry topped the list of flavors preferred by horses, ahead of the usual suspects (carrots and peppermint).

In the first phase of the study, which lasted for 16 days, eight horses received their usual forage every day along with six small portions of feed, each infused with a different flavor. How much of each flavored feed was consumed and over what period of time was observed and recorded.

Of the 15 flavors, only 12 were eaten by all the horses. In the study’s second phase, the eight flavored meals that had been eaten most quickly were then presented to the horses two at a time in all combinations to discern which they liked best.

Analysis of the final data showed that the top eight flavors were, in order of preference, fenugreek, banana, cherry, rosemary, cumin, carrot, peppermint and oregano.

While the results are rather surprising, you will be interested to know that in India horses are routinely offered bananas, and that historically the Greeks and Romans fed fenugreek to horses. There are also reports of people adding fenugreek and cumin to horse rations to encourage increased consumption of regular rations.

Here is a recipe for some homemade horse treats. Use this recipe as a base for creating your own special flavor of treats. If you already have a favorite recipe feel free to share it on our facebook page.

• 2cups Rolled Oats
• 1/2 cup Apple Juice
• 2 chopped Apples (substitute any kind of crunchy fruit or veggie here)
• 1/2 cup dried Mango
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses
• 1 cup Rice/wheat bran

Instructions: