Horse Treats

Horses love treats and will gladly gobble up almost anything you give them. It’s up to you to make sure you feed your pet safe and healthy treats. Most fruits and many vegetables can serve as great treats for your horse. In particular, apples and carrots are always a crowd-pleaser among equines. Grapes, bananas, strawberries, pumpkin, celery and snow peas are also excellent choices. In small proportions, you can also feed your horse sugar cubes or peppermint treats.

Another option is to give your pet dedicated horse snacks. At many pet stores, including Petco, you can find sugar-free horse treats, peppermint-flavored treats and healthy horse treats.

Treats given in moderation can be a great way to reward your horse and to build a positive relationship with your pet. Horses are used to eating throughout the day, so they will always be happy to accept treats. In fact, they’ll almost always want more.

It’s important that you, as the pet parent, help your horse develop healthy habits. Refrain from giving your horse too many treats even if they beg. One or two treats at a time is sufficient. If you give your horse too many treats, they may become overweight. Too many treats may also upset their delicate digestive systems.

If you are worried about your horse’s weight, you may want to consider buying low sugar horse treats or sugar-free horse treats to help limit their sugar intake.

Horses are grazing animals and can spend an entire day happily chomping on grasses, hay and shrubs. However, they have a huge sweet tooth and will eagerly accept any fruits or sweet horse treats you offer. They also enjoy many vegetables, though not all vegetables are good for horses. (You’ll want to avoid foods like onions, potatoes, tomatoes and cabbage, as they can cause painful gas.)

The majority of a horse’s diet should consist of pasture grass, hay and grains. Make sure your pet also receives salts and minerals. Give your horse fruit and veggie treats in moderation. Just one or two horse snacks at a time will be more than sufficient. If you have questions about the right diet for your horse, consult an equine vet to learn more about horse health and wellness.