Wholesome treats for horses

I am not on to give treats to my horses everyday, in fact it is more like once or twice a month that they might get a treat. I don’t like to buy those premade treats that are sold in the feed stores, like Mrs Pastures Horse Cookies , although I have bought and used them in the past. I prefer using carrots, apples and watermelon rinds as treats and so do the horses.

I always seem to have a supply of carrots or apples around for human consumption  and when the carrots or apples are not being used by the humans of the house fast enough, they end up down in the barn feeders.

Watermelon rinds was something that I found out when I use to board my horse years ago. The barn manager had a large market garden and use to give me lots of the produce to take home. I watched her one day giving her own horse a watermelon rind and I asked about them. She said that all the horses she knew loved watermelons and loved the rinds.

One common horse “treat” that I have never given my horses was sugar cubes. I just never got into the habit since we rarely use sugar ourselves. It was many years ago when an acquaintance asked me if she could give a lump of sugar to my horse. She was giving one to her horse at the time so I said I didn’t mind. My horse sniffed it then put it in his mouth, then he promptly spit it out. He did not like sugar.

Now I am off to the barn to tuck my herd in for the night, with a bag of chopped up apples for the crew.