How to Make Delicious Treats at Home Your Horse Will Love

I'm sure you've been to the tack or feed store and have seen a variety of horse treats available for purchase. But, did you know you can make your own treats at home for your horse? No need to be an accomplished cook, most of the recipes are very easy and require little or no baking. And most of the ingredients you allready have at home.

Making treats for horses are also great projects for kids to do with their parents. Or if you have a 4-H group or any other large group of kids interested in horses, you can get them started making horse treats as a fun project. Are you or your child looking for a unique and low cost gift to give as a gift? Make up a batch of horse treats, put them in a brand new horse bucket, decorate with ribbons and bows and give out to your horse loving friends.

Remember, peanuts are never safe to feed a horse and too much peanut butter can cause problems as well. There have been reports that the apple core and apple seeds can be toxic to horses. You should always cut up an apple and remove the core/seeds before feeding to your horse. Cutting up an apple or carrot also prevents the horse from choking on it and makes it easier and safer for you to hand feed.

Always feed in moderation, never over-do feeding treats to your horse and they should NEVER be subtituted as a meal. Remember, a treat is just that...an occasional goodie given to your horse. If you are unsure of a recipe or any ingredients, check with your vet first. Never feed someone else's horse a treat unless you ask first, some horses may not be able to handle certain types of treats or food and you don't want to cause an unwanted reaction to a treat.

Bran Mashes:

Holiday Season Bran Mash

What you need:
3 pounds bran - you can buy wheat or oat bran at the grocery store
1.5 pounds sweet feed (optional)
1 box apple and cinnamon oatmeal
1 box maple and brown sugar oatmeal
1 big can of regular flavor oatmeal
1 box Kellogg's Craklin' oat bran cereal
9 carrots
3 apples
bag of horse nibbles
large jar of grandmas molasses - room temperature
(or)
Maple syrup
hot water

How to prepare:
Take three buckets, divide all dry ingredients equally among the 3 buckets.
Add hot water to just above the mixture, let soak 10 to 15 minutes.
Add generous amount of molasses to each bucket, stir, drizzle a little bit just on top and serve.
Be sure it's cool enough to eat before serving to your horse.

Simple Bran Mash

What you need:
8 - 12 c. wheat bran
1 c. rolled, crushed or crimped oats
1/4 c. corn oil
1/4 c. molasses
1-1/2 to 2-1/2 c. boiling water
1 carrot, sliced
1 apple, sliced

How to prepare:
Combine bran and oats in feed bucket.
Add boiling water to desired consistency.
Stir in oil, molasses, carrot and apple.
Cover and allow to sit.
Serve when cool enough to eat.

Baked Carrot Treats

What you need:
2 carrots,shredded
1 apple,shredded
1/3 cup molasses
3/4 cup flower
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup bran
3/4 cup oatmeal

How to prepare:
preheat over to 400 degres. Generously grease a muffin tin. MIx carrots and apples into a bowl with molasses.,bran,brown sugar,water,flour and oatmeal. Mixture should have a thick and doughy consistency. Add more bran if needed. Scoop dough into a muffnin tin,sprinkle each muffin with brown sugar and bake in the over for 30-50 minutes until well cooked

Sticky Treats

What you need:
apple or carrot
corn syrup
quick oats

How to prepare:
Cut apple in half.
Take core out.
Roll in corn syrup then oats.
Do the same for a carrot.

Peppermint Treats

What you need:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of oats
1/4 cup of molasses
10 crushed peppermints
2 apples

How to prepare:
Mix flour and oats together.
Add molasses if the mixture is not doughy.
Add water slowly until it is doughy.
Add peppermints and apples.
Cook until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Horse Munchies

What you need:
1 cup dry oats
1 cup shredded carrots and apples
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup molasses
Little less than a 1/4 cup water

How to prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients first then add everything else.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Keep in fridge until ready.

Trail Mix Balls

What you need:
5 chopped carrots
Molasses, as much as you want
2 cups oats or quick oats
Any type of grain

How to prepare:
Soak carrots for 15 minutes.
After they have soaked, place them in a large bowl.
Add molasses.
Stir until carrots are completly covered with molasses.
Mix in grain.
Add more molasses until grain is covered.
Finally, roll them in the oats and form a ball.
Wrap the balls in foil and freeze them.
Thaw before serving.

Super Easy Carrot Oatmeal

How to prepare:
Mix all ingredients below together and serve when cool enough to eat.
Shredded Carrots
Regular Quaker Oatmeal
Cook the Quaker Oatmeal (unflavored only).
Sprinkle little shredded carrots on top.

Easy Cookie Treats

What you need:
1 can applesauce
1 1/2 cups quick oats
oatmeal cookies
carrots, shredded

How to prepare:
Mix together oats and applesauce in a medium sized bowl.
Place oatmeal cookies on your countertop in a row.
Cover the cookies with the applesauce/oatmeal mix.
Sprinkle shredded carrots on top, and refrigerate the cookies until used.

Super Easy Apple Treats

What you need:
1 sliced apple
powdered sugar

How to prepare:
Cut apple into small pieces, roll in powdered sugar

Cheery-O-Horse Treats

What you need:
1 cup of oatmeal
1 handful of Cheerios
honey

How to prepare:
Crush Cheerios in small pieces.
Put the oatmeal and cheerios in a dish And spread honey all over.
With your hands, make into small balls and put in the refrigerator over night.

No Bake Horse Cookies

What you need:
4 cups BRAN
4 cups APPLESAUCE

How to prepare:
Mix ingredients together. Batter should be doughy.
Rollout with a rolling pin and cut shapes with cookie cutters.
Let dough dry and serve.

Horse Salad

What you need:
6 apples, quartered
8 carrots, cut in 3 inch pieces
2 cups quaker oats
1 cup sweet feed
Molasses

How to prepare:
Combine all ingredients together and fold in enough molasses to make the oatmeal and grain stick to the fruit.
Chill over-night and serve

Horse and Human Goodies
edibles for you AND your horse

What you need:
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 (one half) cup wheat germ oil
1 cup water
1/2 (one half) cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 apple, peeled
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2/3 (two thirds) cup dark molasses
10 peppermints, crushed

How to prepare:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl, and bake until crispy and dry.

Horse Cupcakes

What you need:
1 cup cinnamon oatmeal
1 tbsp. wheat flour
1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tbsp. honey
1 shredded apple (remove seeds!)
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
Crushed mints, golden raisins, some shredded carrots, grain, any special treat your horse likes.

How to prepare:
In a large bowl, mix the oatmeal, water, and honey.
Put the mixture in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix wheat flour, brown sugar, shredded apple, and extra ingredients.
Combine the contents of both bowls, and put this mixture in the microwave for about 2 more minutes.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees, depending on your oven they should finish cooking in 10 minutes.
Then add sprinkles, and let cook for 5 more minutes to get them crispy.

Other tips for adding supplements/treats to your horse's feed:

Apple cider vinegar and oil: http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/acvforhorses.html
A to Z guide to supplements and natural supplements: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/health/azfeed.shtml
Healthy horse treats information: http://www.petcaretips.net/horse_treats.html