The holiday season is here and it's time to cook up some special treats for your horses. Here are a few ideas for treats your horses may enjoy during these cool winter months.
Holiday or any-time horse treats
Treats are enjoyed by most horses, but don't overdo it, and be sure to share some down time and good treats with your equine during the holiday season.
Oat and Apple Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup of oats (I used Old Fashioned Oats)
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup of wheat bran (small boxes available in baking section of your grocery store)
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup freshly grated apples (I used Granny Smiths)
- I added about a ½ cup of whole wheat flour and an egg for binding
Preparation
Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Mix all ingredients. Use a muffin tin and either a small ice cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measuring cup so that you have a consistent amount of batter per treat.
Apple and Carrot Squares/Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated apples (1-2 apples, depending on size)
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated carrots (about 2-3, depending on size)
- 1 cup of wheat bran
- 1 cup of oats (I used Old Fashioned Oats)
- 1 cup molasses
- ½ cup of whole wheat or all-purpose flour (approximately.)
- 1-2 eggs for binding (use your judgment)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients. Oil a 9 x 9 inch square cake pan OR use muffin tins. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan, or portion evenly in muffin tins, and bake for about 30 minutes.
When making treats for horses, here are some helpful hints:
- Don't have molasses? Mix two teaspoons of sugar for every five teaspoons of pancake syrup and stir.
- If it says to put it on cookie sheets but it seems too runny go ahead and put it in muffin tin.
- Use apple juice instead of Water
- You can use flavored oatmeal like maple syrup and brown sugar or apples and cinnamon.
- In some recipes you can use oatmeal in place of bran.
Use caution when making and giving your horse a special treat:
- If your horse has any special needs or health problems make sure that you talk to your vet before giving them anything. Sometimes horses will react to things that could make their health problems worse.
- If your horse doesn't eat your special treat, don't worry, try a different recipe. If you suspect it is something more serious, call your vet.
- Make sure that your special treats are cool before you give them to your horse, you don't want to burn his mouth!
Recipes taken from 2013 EquiMed article