horse treat recipes for horses with dietary needs

[MissAriel]

In the past I have made horse treats at the holidays for all my barn friends. They are all food grade, but heavy on the diced carrots, apples, molasses, etc. This year we have a few older guys who are on special diets, and I am not sure how well my existing recipes will work. Does anyone have a good recipe for a horse treat that is:

• low sugar
• readily dissolved (choke prone)
• no alfalfa, timothy or bermuda

Maybe some thing with rice bran, oil, flax meal, applesauce or mashed banana, some peppermint extract (or other flavor), baked.

[shortenmyreins]

My mare goes nuts for these. Flour, apple sauce, steel cut oats, and grated carrots. You could probably substitute the oats for something else (flaxseed?)
https://bakingmischief.com/2016/02/05/carrot-oat-applesauce-treats-for-dogs-and-horses/

[pasolover2]

If they are metabolically challenged in anyway, such as IR then most can’t have carrots, apples, etc. This recipe is from the ECIR group if you want to use. Unsweetened applesauce is fine to use.

Low Sugar Horse Treats

1/2 cup of unsweetened apple purée/sauce
• 2 x tablespoons of cinnamon
• 2 x cups of hot water
• 1 x 500g bag of organic ground flaxseed

Preheat the oven to 180C (170C for a fan

assisted oven).
1.
Put the flaxseed and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir.
2.
Add the apple purée/sauce.
3.
Add 2 cups of hot water.
4.
Mix it all together with a spoon.
5.
Once it’s cooled a little, mix it well with your hands until the dough is smooth.
6.
Cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
7.
Place the dough on it and spread the dough with your hands so that it evenly covers the tray (not
too thinly

about 1 inch
thick).
8.
Once the dough has been smoothed out, score it into treat
sized small squares. Do this before
baking as it will be harder to cut afterwards.
9.
Bake for about 45-
50 minutes for chewy, 55

60 for crunchy, then leave to cool.
10.
Store it in the fridge (stays fresh for about a week).
I usually freeze the treats and take out a week’s worth at a time to keep them fresh.

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[MissAriel]

@pasolover2 Thank you! This is really helpful.

[pasolover2]

You’re welcome. I have a Paso Fino gelding who is prone to IR and I have to watch his sugar, starch and fat intake. It can be a challenge.