Is 3" Too Large for a Custom Horse Treat?

[KatyG]

Hi!
I am starting a horse treat business (have all my paperwork in check for my stsate and am sending in my treats for Guarenteed Analysis today).

But a barn mate said that 3" was too big and expressed concern a horse might choke. These can be broken into smaller pieces, but obvi, i don’t want to cause any harm to any equine.

They are made with oat flour and molasses, with royal icing for decoration. When I go on etsy and see other similar treats, they are all around 3-31/2 inches, so it didn’t occur to me it’s be an issue till the mom (totally meaning well) mentioned it.

I would love thoughts and feedback - don’t be afraid to hurt my feelings

[Janet]

No idea if it is a choking problems, but the biggest treats I have fed my horses are the German Horse Muffins, about 1" cube. I wouldn’t buy a treat 3 1/2" across.

[NichtNixen]

I make similar cookies for horse b-day parties with my barn mates, using cutters designed for human cookies, and we’ve had no issues with the horses biting the cookie as they eat it - do they chop carrots into 1” chunks?

Also, I would bet that a cookie 3” across and 1/2- 3/4” high is probably about the equivalent amount of oats and molasses, just flat, not a ball. They’re cute gifts or photo props for special occasions. (And I have yet to have a horse refuse one of mine, even the ones who eschew commercial ones)

[Bonnie2]

Too big. You don’t buy fancy treats to wrestle with breaking them up. These would be just as pretty and much more user friendly if they were half the size. Yes I do cut up my carrots into 1” pieces. Dedicated knife and cutting board in the tack room.

[Scribbler]

IME horses recognize a treat “per serving” and not in total size. When clicker training, you can use a single extruded kibble or hay cube and get the same results as feeding multiples at once. They don’t necessarily see a “big cookie” and get more excited than a smaller cookie. Unlike humans. I remember decades ago, at the very start of the novelty mall treat trend, we had a local kiosk chain making big delicious chewy supersize cookies 4 or 5 times bigger than the standard cookie of the day (packaged or homemade) and they were a big success. Successive decades saw supersize muffins, cinnamon buns, etc.

So bigger appeals to humans but not necessarily to horses. I would make the treats smaller. Horses can and do chew so it’s not like a bigger treat is necessarily a choking hazard. But more smaller treats go further and the horse would be happier with that!

[Indy]

@Scribbler

IME horses recognize a treat “per serving” and not in total size. When clicker training, you can use a single extruded kibble or hay cube and get the same results as feeding multiples at once. They don’t necessarily see a “big cookie” and get more excited than a smaller cookie.

This. Mine gets just as excited to eat a Skittle (and yes, she’s dainty so she eats Skittles and tic-tacs one at a time) or a little treat as she does a big giant treat. It’s the amount of snacks she gets versus the size.

I’d make them smaller, and you could even sell them in cute sets of matching small treats. If I was to buy fancy treats, I’d rather buy a bag of little bite sized ones instead of one giant one that I have to break apart. I feel the same way about fancy dog treats too - I’d much rather have small ones instead of one giant cookie.

[Djones]

Smaller is better. I want to stick it in my pocket whole, not break it into 4s and send crumbs everywhere

[Sarah616]

Most of the people who buy these large decorated treats aren’t using them as a training device. It’s the kids who get them and take a video to post on Instagram of their horse eating them. And I can tell you, most of the companies I have seen do offer multiple sizes, but many of the cookies are that large. I have never once seen a horse try to eat the whole thing at once. It’s so easy to hold the end of it and let your horse take a bite, same as a carrot. If you’re going to put the treat in a bucket, break it up into pieces. Most of the people who are truly feeding treats as a reward and not just because it makes them happy to spoil their horse are using less expensive treats like mints or pieces of carrot.

In summary, no. 3” cookies are fine. People will buy them or they won’t. They will not pose a health risk to the horse.

[trubandloki]

A 3" cookie that can be easily broken or chewed is not an issue at all.

I can not imagine anything trying to swallow that whole.

[KatyG]

our girl loves those!

[KatyG]

Thanks for your input! I appreciate it.

[KatyG]

Thank you for replying - these aren’t meant to be used as training treats - I suppose I should have made that clear.

[KatyG]

Good info - I guess I should have also made it clear that these aren’t meant to be training treats - at $3-4 each, that’d get pricey

[LiveTheDream]

They look lovely! It’s something I’m more likely to purchase as a gift than for myself. For my own horses, I usually purchase or make small low sugar treats.

[S1969]

@Sarah616

Most of the people who buy these large decorated treats aren’t using them as a training device. It’s the kids who get them and take a video to post on Instagram of their horse eating them.

I think they are adorable. Another option might be a package with one large fancy treat and smaller treats less elaborately decorated or even plain, just cut into a shape (horseshoe shape? Or just a round or oval shape). One fancy one for the Instagram reel, and the others for whatever purpose - training or just spoiling.

[GraceLikeRain]

3” would be fine with me. It’s a special occasion item easily snapped in half for feeding. The appeal is the decorations, which will be better seen on a large cookie.

[Renn_aissance]

@trubandloki

I can not imagine anything trying to swallow that whole.

You have not met my horse. He would absolutely put the whole thing in his mouth if I weren’t paying attention.

OP, I’d personally rather buy a baggie of 3 x something smaller, but I’m not your target audience. Options may help attract a wider customer base.

[trubandloki]

@Renn_aissance

You have not met my horse. He would absolutely put the whole thing in his mouth if I weren’t paying attention.

I have not met your horse.

I know my horse would take the whole thing too. But she would then chew it, and not try to swallow it whole.
I can not imagine something a cut out cookie texture (even if more firm) requiring much chewing to become small pieces.

Unlike my dog who takes things and swallows them whole with out chewing.

[KatyG]

@Renn_aissance

You have not met my horse. He would absolutely put the whole thing in his mouth if I weren’t paying attention.

I feel like this applies to my husband as well…

[KatyG]

Thanks for your input - and I do recognize I have a limited audience. And I’m totally okay with that