Tried and True Horse Treat Recipies: "Popcorn Balls"

With cold weather fast approaching, it is not uncommon to hear horse-owners complaining of winter horse work. Particularly in those areas affected by below freezing weather, and lots of snow and rain - equine activities tend to slow down. Riders who used to work several horses 6 times a week, now find themselves cringing to go out to the barn; even to just feed a treat - even those homemade! Cold weather tends to bring an easiness workload, particularly in outdoor activities.. Many horses get a few months off; a well-deserved break from a tough show season. Other horses are perfectly content continuing to be pets and companions; some never leaving the property but being content just the same. But although winter riding, tends to take a turn down the slow path, winter chores continue on!

Humans aren't the only ones who get the "winter blues." With the weather turning for the worst, horses often times find themselves cooped up in their stalls, or shielding themselves from the elements by hiding out in their run-in sheds. With a work-load decrease, and less activity, boredom often sets in. Anyone with horses knows that a bored horse is never a good thing!

To combat boredom, why not make your horse a treat they can play with and enjoy? The following recipe is a variety of the human "popcorn ball." If made and hung correctly; it will harden and can provide hours (and days!) of entertainment for your equine pal. And you, well you can lose the guilt of only seeing your horse in passing, to and from the feed room!

You will need:

2 cups corn syrup ("lite" is fine as well!)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cups corn meal
½ cup finely crushed sugar-free peppermints
3 cups sweet feed

2 well greased (Pam) mini angel food cake pans.

Begin by combining the corn syrup and sugar over medium heat until all of the sugar has dissolved. Once it has dissolved, cover the pot and cook for about 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, Uncover and cook until about 300 degrees or the "hard-crack" stage. At this point, you can turn off the heat.

You can now begin to slowly add the corn meal and sweet feed, alternating between the two, until completely combined and well coated. Now, Pour into the mini angel food cake pans and let cool completely. If done correctly, the result is a very hard treat, which can have rope looped through the center hole and hung away from any wall (or anything that the horse can pin it against!).

Notes:

1. It is best to use a candy thermometer to know whether or not you have reached the "hard-crack" stage. If you do not have one, then you can use the ice water trick: Have a bowl of cold ice-water handy. To determine whether you have reached "hard crack" stage, drizzle a small amount of syrup off of a spoon into the cold water. It should form threads in the water, that when removed should be hard and brittle. If they are soft, then continue cooking and try again in a few minutes.

2. The mini Angel Food cake pans will create treats that are well-sized to fit as "refill" in the Horseman's Pride Jolly Stall snack holders.

3. These make great gifts! A pretty decorative wrap, and ribbon, will sure to bring a smile to the face of equines and equine-lovers alike.