November Newsletter: The Best Treats to Give Your Horse

The Best Treats to Give Your Horse

Do you share special snacks with your horse or use treats as positive reinforcement during training sessions? Just like human snacks, treats for your horse can be loaded with sugar or contain unhealthy ingredients. Keeping these things in mind will help you satisfy your horse's appetite without compromising its health.

Fruits and Vegetables Offer a Healthy Natural Choice

Are apples and carrots your go-to treats? Broaden your horse's palate by adding a few other fruits and vegetables to the snack menu.

These fruits and vegetables offer tasty, healthy choices:

Cucumbers
Turnips
Parsnips
Beets
Corn
Snow Peas
Squash
Lettuce
Pumpkins
Peaches and Apricots (with the pits removed)
Strawberries
Bananas
Raisins
Grapes
Pineapple
Cantaloupe
Pears
Watermelon
Oranges

Equine nutritionist Fiona Watkins told Horse & Hound that celery is also a good treat option. She explained that the vegetable is low in natural sugars and cellulose, a plant fiber. As the horse chews the celery, it produces more saliva, which Watkins says can reduce the risk of gastric ulcers.

Avoid these fruits and vegetables, as they can cause gas or may be toxic to horses:

Broccoli
Potatoes
Onions
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Avocados
Persimmons

Homemade Treats Help You Control Ingredients

Making treats yourself is the easiest way to ensure the snacks you give your horse include fresh, healthy ingredients. Luckily, no cooking skills are needed to make your horse a snack. Creating treats can be as simple as combining molasses, oats, or flaxseed with shredded fruit or other ingredients, baking the mixture, and cutting it into squares.

Concerned about the sugar in homemade sweets? Swap the molasses for unsweetened applesauce. You can find recipes for treats on Young Rider, Rutger's Equine Science Center, North Carolina Horse Council, and other websites.

Unlike commercially-made treats, homemade treats don't contain preservatives. Store them in the refrigerator, and use them within a few days. Throw away any treats that look moldy or smell bad. If you can't remember when you made the treats, throw them out. It's better to waste a few treats than put your horse's health at risk.

Ready-Made Treats Offer Convenience

Commercially made treats offer plenty of flavors sure to tempt your horse and last longer than homemade treats or fruits and vegetables. When you don't have time to bake or are on the road, ready-made treats can offer a good solution. Limit these treats to one or two at a time, as they can be high in sugar and carbohydrates.

Things to Keep in Mind

Take a look at these tips before giving your horse treats:

Cut Treats into Bite-Sized Pieces if Your Horse Tends to Gulp Food
Offer Treats from a Bucket to Prevent Nipping
Be Sure to Give a Treat Immediately if You're Using Treats to Reward Positive Behavior
Alternate Treats to Find the Taste Your Horse Prefers
Avoid Giving Sugary Treats (Including Sugar Cubes and Peppermints) to Overweight Horses or Those with Laminitis, Insulin Resistance, Gastric Ulcers, Equine Metabolic Syndrome or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID).
Add a Treat to a Horse Dispenser for a Little Mental Stimulation
Prevent Upsetting the Delicate Balance of Your Horse's Digestive System by Only Offering Treats Occasionally and in Small Amounts

Do you have a question about safe treats for your horse or need to schedule a visit with the veterinarian? Contact our office to make a convenient appointment.

Sources:

Young Rider: Healthy Horse Treat Recipe, 11/12/2018

https://www.youngrider.com/healthy-horse-treat-recipe/

Rutger's Equine Science Center: Happy Holiday Horse Treats, 12/18/2017

https://esc.rutgers.edu/happy-holiday-horse-treats/

North Carolina Horse Council: Simple and Fun Homemade Horse Treats, 12/22/2023

https://nchorsecouncil.com/simple-and-fun-homemade-horse-treats/

Penn State Extension: Trick or Treat: Things to Think About when Giving Your Horse a Treat, 8/17/2023

https://extension.psu.edu/trick-or-treat-things-to-think-about-when-giving-your-horse-a-treat

Horse & Hound: Which Treats Are Safe for Horses? Horse & Hound Explains…, 2/25/2021

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/safe-treats-for-horses-644034

The Horse: Sugars and Peppermints: Not Safe Treats for All Horses, 12/18/2023