Christmas Treats for Your Horse
By Caryn A. Tate
We tend to think that, due to movies and/or stereotypes, horses love sugar cubes and carrots, as well as apples. While this may be true with a lot of horses, there are also many who don't like these things. Really, we can look at horses a lot like people (as I've mentioned regarding other training issues in my previous articles), and realize that they have varying tastes. Some like these treats and some don't. And some horses like just about anything-I know a horse who loves oranges!
But, since the Holidays are upon us, I know that a lot of horsepeople like myself enjoy giving their horses some little treat as well as their families and (human) friends. There are a lot of options out there for you to experiment with for your horse.
Something I've always enjoyed doing is going with simple, straight-forward grain. I've never seen a horse who doesn't just adore it, and there are many variations on it; plain oats, rolled oats, cracked corn, whole corn, etc. And of course you can go with sweet feed if you like, grain mixed with molasses. I've also never seen a horse that doesn't flip over this mix, although I'm not a big fan of feeding it to horses for long. I don't believe the molasses is the best thing for their teeth. (Again, a lot like people!)
If you give your horse grain now and then, especially as a treat or a reward, then you've got yourself a pretty simple way of giving him a Christmas treat.
But if you want something a little more out of the ordinary, I also really like the little treats you can buy for horses in feed and tack stores now. They're generally healthy, different grains mixed with molasses or apple, and come in a variety of flavors. Plus, they come in a cute little shape most of the time, similar to cookies.
And finally, a perfect source of more information on horse treats lies in the book "The Original Book of Horse Treats: Recipes You Can Make at Home for Your Horse" by June V. Evers. I have not actually read the book myself, but I've heard from many people that it is a great treat cookbook which contains recipes for horse treats that you can make yourself.
Happy Holidays!
About the Author:
I have lived around and worked with horses my entire life, and learned how to ride when I was a small child. Riding and training horses are great loves of mine, and I enjoy helping other people overcome training issues with their horses. I love working with horses and developing relationships with them, as well as talking about them with other people who are as passionate about the subject as I am.
Caryn may be contacted by email at scribe_79@yahoo.com.
Article courtesy of Suite101.com.
