Mint flavored Tums. No sugar, mostly calcium (good for the gut), low calorie, and don’t get sticky in your pocket. They are not the yummiest things in the world so if your horse is used to peppermints or sugar, these might not fly, but if you’ve got a fatso who never gets treats or even carrots because of the calories, they get gobbled up. I buy the big bottles of the generic at Walmart. And anyone with indigestion knows who’s tack box to visit;)
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I use hay pellets and beet pulp pellets for low value treats and the beet pulp based manna pro nutrigood low sugar snax for high value- she LOVES those but they get spendy.
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Hilton Herbs “Herballs” 
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Mine like the Manna Pro Nutrigood snacks. Former horse only would eat the carrot and anise flavor (he hated anything apple flavored). I used these for R+ training (very food motivated horse).
New horse loves the apple flavor. He also loves being an American now and getting all the cookies. Hard to believe he actually spat out a peppermint I gave him in Germany.
I tried these flax treats at first based on good reviews by people with IR horses at the barn. Horse is not that desperate. He knows there are better options.
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I started using human cereal. So far winners are: Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, Mini wheats, and Chex. Super cheap and a little goes a long way… Not sugar free but since he gets so little at a time, I don’t stress about it to much.
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Almonds! Horses love them
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I feed alfalfa cubes as treats. I break the bigger ones into smaller ‘slabs’ and feed a few at a time. No sugar and my mare loves them.
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Another vote for the Manna Pro Nutrigood Snax. My donkeys and horse love them.
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My horses love these as well. I order the variety pack direct from Stabul 1.
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Dry?
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Yes, dry. She gets 2 or 3 here and there (not a bucket of them), and if they are large I flake them off into smaller parts. This is a draft cross so she’s a big girl, and has no issues eating them this way. Obviously if the horse had teeth issues, and/or was older, I wouldn’t do this. But my girl is okay with it.
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I second both the celery and Tums. My mare loves them both. I can even break the Tums into quarters and she is still thrilled to get them!
I have never been able to convince either of two horses that celery was edible. Each horse has demonstrated an exponential increase in intelligence, obedience, arched-neck beauty, and attention span when aware that Stabul 1 treats are in the vicinity. I also use the Stabul I crumbles for top-dressing low-sugar mashes, or I dissolve a Stabul I treat into the mash (because the mash otherwise would taste/smell like cardboard).
I like to give my mare both Uckele’s Equi-treats and Smartpak’s Smart cookies. Low sugar and she loves them.
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I second pretzels. Cheap and easily available.
I received a small bag of “Guilt-Free Smart Cookies” a couple of months ago as a free gift with my SmartPak order. They have three flavors: Carrot Cake, Banana Bread, and Peppermint Pattie. I chose Peppermint Pattie because I know my guy loves peppermint. He adores these treats, and the ingredient list is wonderful: Plain Dried Beet Pulp, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Coconut Meal, Chia Seed, Salt, Flaxseed Oil, Peppermint Oil, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative)
The other flavors have similar ingredients, but my horse doesn’t like bananas and gets a bit loopy on carrots (both ingredients in the other flavors). I also like that the peppermint flavor includes chia seeds (the others don’t).
Definitely my go-to treat now.
Psssst!
Even cheaper are the Dollar Tree gingersnaps in the brown paper bag. Around 3doz/bag.
Groceries carry the same brand for more $$.
Also consider whole grain pasta.
Any shape, but the short ones (penne, rotini) are easy to carry in a pocket.
They don’t spoil & carbs break down slower.
My horses LOFF plain dry pasta.
I keep a box of spaghetti for kids to feed - the long strands keep.little fingers safe.
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Beet-E-Bites. They have a beet pulp base and no added sugar, just a flavoring agent.
My mare Just Said No to celery. She spat it out!
My IR boy and ulcer-prone, sugar sensitive ottb have sampled MANY a healthy low/no sugar treat. Here are some favorites:
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Flix flax treats-NO sugar and healthy omega 3’s
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DuMOR large alfalfa pellets (at <$15 for a 50 lb bag these are the best value of any of them, and they’re a perfect size for use in training.) Note- the large alfalfa+Bermuda pellets do have a tiny bit Molasses so if your horse is super sensitive just stick to the pure alfalfa ones.
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Manna Pro Nutrigood low sugar treats-good mix of healthy and delicious and small enough that you can feed a lot with no issues.
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Stabul Nuggets (fenugreek)- these are big and don’t have the best ingredients compared to the other treats listed, so I don’t feed more than 1-2/day, but the yummy flavor and large size makes them perfect as a big reward.
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Elite Three Applause hemp treats-NO sugar, tasty, healthy, and tend to be kinda long and thin so perfect for carrot stretches!
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Triple Crown Timothy Balance cubes-way smaller than regular alfalfa cubes and safe for even the most sugar sensitive horse.
For in the stall/pen, I got my IR boy an amazing graze and load it with Timothy/Alfalfa cubes. I set it down, showed him that when it moved food came out, and he got the hang of it instantly. He LOVES that thing.
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