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Horse Treats:
Can they
have more than carrots and apples?
Giving treats to
horses has advanced beyond carrots, apples and sugar cubes. We
love to give our horses treats so why not offer them a variety of
flavors. You may find that by trying a few different kinds of
treats, you will discover the flavor your horse truly loves. Here
is some helpful information to use when selecting a new treat
flavor for your horse.
#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 an allergic reaction.
#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:
Safe FRUITS:
- 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:
- 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.
Ingredients
- 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
- 1cup Rice/wheat bran
Instructions:
Mix everything
together. Make teaspoon size cookies on a baking sheet. Bake for
20 minutes at 375. Store in the fridge. Not suitable for
horses with Metabolic syndrome.
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