Treats
Treats can become a very emotive discussion amongst horse owners with some owners giving treats and others feeling strongly that treats should not be given.
Treats have a powerful effect on a horse - they are very positively motivated by getting something different. It is not about hunger - their food grows around their feet! It's more about approval and reward and reinforcing their position in your herd of two.
My horses all love trying new things and are always excited when there is something new to try - when I bring the bag out there is a lot of huffing, sniffing, dancing excitedly from foot to foot. Horses love new and varied flavours, and it is really a lot of fun experimenting and finding out what they like and don't like and watching the faces they pull! One of my lads really doesn't like desert apples, he will eat cooking apples but not sweet apples like Gala!
I keep many of the vegetable peelings from the kitchen for my lads and they excitedly root around in the carrier bag finding the goodies! Parsnips and brussel sprouts are particular favourites, and potato peelings are OK if there are no carrots to be had! Our cob loves a piece of celeriac, but the other two behave as if I've tried to poison them!
The size of the treat isn't important - just getting a treat is. Remember you can make a carrot or an apple go a very long way simply by slicing it up. The same approach should probably be taken to "treating" your horse as you would your children! They should be healthy, low sugar and given in moderation.
Treats form an important part of the horse's diet, and they absolutely love to try new tastes and textures, and it is great fun dfinding out what they like and don;t like. Horses will soon tell you if they like or dislike what you are offering them. It's fun finding out what they like and don't like.
Laminitic horses and ponies require special consideration and should not be fed refined sugar in any form - no Polo mints and probably limited carrots or apples! There are some molasses free and sugar free treats available in tack shops and feed stores that are suitable for Laminitics. Pura-Mint pellets from Simple Systems are quite useful.
A pushy horse or one that pulls at pockets should definitely not be given treats until they are standing calm and being polite!
A turnip makes a great occasional treat, it is high in fibre and provides some minerals, is succulent and really good for cleaning the front teeth and also for massaging the gums.
My own horses love bananas - skin and all. So they get the marked and bruised ones that the children won't touch!
Other treats that I feed my horses, and they really enjoy all of them, include:
Dates, pitted
Almonds,
Walnuts, Hazelnuts
Sunflower seeds, whole or hulled,
Grapes,
Dried bananas (big favourite, really big favourite!), slices or whole
Dried apricots,
Dried pears
Raisins, sultanas, currants
Soy nuts!
A handful of fennel seeds (get a big bag for £1 from any Indian grocer)
Other things we share in quiet moments, like crunchy nut and seed bars
Basicaly these are things that I stuff in my own pockets for a long hack and share with them as we go along. Unfortunately my big lad now plants his feet and looks round expectantly every time he hears Velcro or a Zip!
One of the lady horse owners in our yard put it rather well "I wouldn't want to hang out with a boyfriend who didn't bring me the occasional box of chocolates now and then!"