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Making Homemade Horse Treats is an activity that I love! Over the years I have experimented with so many different recipes. My horse is thankfully not a picky eater – but he has been a diligent taste-tester of all my recipes!
Not only is making your own treats at home cheaper than purchasing store-bought treats, but making your own treats allows for healthier ingredients (and a healthier horse!) I can take comfort in knowing that I am feeding my horse only quality ingredients with no added preservatives or fillers since I know exactly what goes into each batch.
I like to pack these treats full of things that will not only provide my horse with a tasty snack but will provide health benefits as well. From keeping his coat soft and shiny to promoting a healthy gut, each recipe has tons of added benefits to keep your horse looking and feeling their best.
I have narrowed down some of my favorite recipe combinations to share and will be posting in the coming weeks – so keep an eye out for more easy DIY homemade goodies you can make at home for your horse!
Recipe Benefits:
Coconut oil is a popular fat source for horses used to promote healthy skin, a shiny coat, and weight gain. Though more research is needed, there is some evidence to show it may support immune health due to strong antimicrobial properties and also supports a healthy gut.
Flaxseed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acid, which naturally exists in fresh pasture grass but is quickly depleted in hay. This means, if your horse consumes a diet of mostly hay, they will likely consume significantly less omega-3 fatty acids than a horse on fresh pasture.
The ground flax seeds in these treats are an excellent way to add in omega-3 fatty acids back into your horses diet. Flax seeds have many benefits and have been shown to help support:
- hair and coat health
- joints and soft tissues
- the immune system
- circulation and vascular health
- normal gastrointestinal function
- normal hoof growth
Cinnamon is an excellent natural supplement to add into your horses diet. There have been studies that show several potential health benefits including:
- Antioxidant properties: Could potentially help protect the body against a variety of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders, and cancer.
- Antidiabetic effects: While horses don’t develop type 2 diabetes like humans, they can certainly suffer from similar glucose and insulin regulatory issues which goes hand in hand with laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome.
- Antimicrobial activity: Cinnamon has been touted for many years for it’s ability to fight infections due it’s antimicrobial properties.
Ingredients List:
*You can always switch out or omit an ingredient if you prefer, the recipe will hold up even with some substitutions
- 1 tbs Coconut Oil (see Coconut Oil for Horses)
- 1/4 cup Molasses (see Molasses for Horses)
- 1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed (see Ground Flax Seed for Horses)
- 3 cups Oats (see Oats for Horses)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 large chopped or grated carrots
- 1 large diced or grated apple
- 1 1/2 cups apple sauce (no sugar added)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Optional: Peppermint candies (see Peppermints for Horses)
Directions:
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
STEP 2
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking (NOTE: If you don’t have parchment paper, grease the cookie sheet.)
STEP 3
Finely chop or grate the carrots and apples. A food processor make this super easy but it can easily be done in a blender or with a knife too. If using a knife, try to cut up the pieces as small as you can.
STEP 4
Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl
STEP 5
Add remaining wet ingredients including apples and carrots to dry ingredients. Stir until well combined. (NOTE: You can use a wooden spoon or stand mixer for this.)
STEP 6
Roll the treat mixture into 1” balls (or smaller / larger depending on how big you’d like them to be for your horse!). If they are too crumbly, add a little bit of coconut oil. If they are too sticky, add extra flour or oats.
STEP 7
Add treat balls to your cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. (NOTE: Extra un-cooked mixture can also be frozen and baked at a later date if you prefer to make a smaller batch.)
STEP 8
Once cooled, store in an air-tight container. These will keep fresh longer in the fridge but refrigeration is not necessary.
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