Sugar cubes..

[islgrl]

…seem to have disappeared from store shelves. This is HUGE problem for me. My horse and I have a deal, he stands stock still while I mount and he gets a sugar cube. If I do NOT give him a sugar cube I literally have to pony kick him to get him to take step. I finally went online and found them on Amazon and bought 5 boxes (alternately I could have bought a case but that seemed excessive…:D) Meanwhile, my husband said it was stupid to buy them I should just make them. I didn’t believe it would work and ignored him. When I got up this morning I found a jar of homemade sugar cubes waiting for me!

Anyways - the point of this post is why don’t they sell them at the supermarket anymore???

[Tarlo_Farm]

I thought the same thing and was forced to use the little Lifesaver mints, which aren’t as soft, but my horses like them. Then I was in a third store yesterday and found them again - repackaged into a different box shape. Bet re-designing the packaging caused the issue.

[beowulf]

Mine stopped stocking them several years ago :no: I’ve found that peppermint gumdrops, halved, are a good alternative – as are the soft peppermints.

[MsM]

I havent found them recently either! How did he make them?

[SharonA]

I just want to say that I know for a fact, a true fact, people, that Beowulf knows her treats. I believe she introduced my horse to fruit jellies, and he has loved humans on a new level ever since. But the local grocery stores have plenty of sugar cubes, sugar-free sugar cubes, sugar cubes made from weird types of sugar, etc. I’m happy to hook you up if you’re desperate.

[islgrl]

@MsM

I havent found them recently either! How did he make them?

He found a ton of videos on youtube!

SharonA I may have to take you up on that! I should note I live on an island so the Stop and Shop “supermarket” is about the size of many corner stores in other areas so selection is limited. I also may look into fruit jellies…

I do have the soft mints and was thinking I could cut those in half if I had too…

[Pezanos]

I’m in MA and my local Stop & Shop has been out for months. Even worse, Domino has changed how they make the cubes and now they shed more sugar in my pocket than they used to. It’s a sugar cube crisis, for sure. I have switched to the soft peppermints.

[Gamma]

I think they have mostly been replaced with single serving packets (especially of low cal sweeteners). Once the price on the packets became competitive, people found them more convenient than keeping a bowl and tongs. But useless for horses… https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/afternoon-tea-and-diy-sugar-cubes/ On the bright side, now you can make extra fancy ones!

[Trot_On]

My horse and I have the same arrangement for mounting, although I justify depositing treats by asking for a carrot stretch. My horses’ current favorite is lemon cookies, but he will take the apple flavor, or pumpkin spice. Neither one of us are a fan of ginger cookies, and he will not be tricked by a milk bone dog biscuit used in desperation. The cookies work best in cooler months, summer tends to get soggy in sweaty pockets. They are hard enough to carry, but break up in his mouth and come out in the wash if you leave them in the pocket.

Our current brand is Stauffer’s or Murrey’s. He loves peppermints, I will have to try the fruit jellies.

[cayuse]

In a pinch, Tums work great as a pocketable treat. I use them all the time on the ponies. Just the right size.

[MsM]

I used hard peppermints today and he made quite a production out of chewing them! I sometimes reward during a ride, so that wont work for that. Bought some soft peppermints to try. Annoying that they are all wrapped in cellophane. I may try making sugar cubes. Could be interesting… I do have extra sugar now that my hummingbirds have gone south and I dont have to make more nectar!

[TXPiaffe]

I use the tiny little peppermint horse treats. My guy won’t move until he gets his treat either Spoiled baby!

[MyKindaFlower]

Apple Cinnamon (or another flavor) Cheerios work well. As do those little butter mints - the ones that melt.

[trubandloki]

I can not be the only one who never imagined there was a recipe to make sugar cubes at home. Wow.

I just use the soft peppermints. They have wrappers and easily dissolve with their bit in their mouth.

[Gamma]

@MsM if the soft peppermints aren’t wrapped they get soggy.

[cbg]

@cayuse

In a pinch, Tums work great as a pocketable treat. I use them all the time on the ponies. Just the right size.

Ditto the Tums. My grocery store almost always has buy one get one free, so they’re cheap, no wrappers to deal with, and don’t melt or leave sticky residue in my pockets.

[LuckyRider]

@trubandloki

I can not be the only one who never imagined there was a recipe to make sugar cubes at home. Wow.

I just use the soft peppermints. They have wrappers and easily dissolve with their bit in their mouth.

Nope, you’re not the only one! Gonna have to try making them this weekend.

[Pezanos]

The tricky thing about the soft peppermints is that sometimes during a ride, their mouth foam shows a little of the red dye from the peppermint and it can look like blood. Not a big deal at home but potentially terrible at a horse show if someone thinks your horse has blood on its mouth.

[HungarianHippo]

Just go on Amazon, they have a gazillion versions of sugar cubes

[MLOaks]

We get the dots version. Smaller cubes, I think.