by Gabrielle Schrader

Created on: January 03, 2010   Last Updated: January 04, 2010

When finding safe treats for your horses, you must keep in mind that all horses like different things. They are similar to humans in the sense that they have different taste buds and they may not like one of the treats you give them but may love another treat. That said, it is very important that you only feed your horse food that is edible for horses. Some human food is good for horses and others can be poisonous and fatal. Below are some common safe treats for horses:

-apples

-carrots

-sunflower seeds

-raisins

-sugar cubes

-hay cubes

Make sure that you break these down into little pieces. A lot of times people give very large pieces and oftentimes the horse can break it down but sometimes they cannot. It is better just to give smaller pieces to be safe. Some horses become very greedy and obsessed with treats. They may gulf the treat down and it could get lodged in their throat causing them to choke. Make sure to avoid this by simply cutting the pieces up into smaller pieces. 

Here are some treats that are NOT a good idea for horses to have:

-chocolate (dogs & cats also should never have chocolate)

-cabbage

-tomatoes

-garden clippings (my grandpa was a big gardener and he had to be very careful of this)

Another thing to keep in mind is how you feed the horse. It is important not to just let the horse eat the treats out of your pocket. This may encourage them to nip at your fingers or pockets expecting treats every time they see you or even every time they see anyone. It is best to avoid this by feeding them out of your hand/palm or laying it down on the floor for them to eat. This will avoid the nipping or biting of people's hands and their clothing. You will always want to avoid this type of behavior. Remember, it is also important to take good care of your horses and not feed them too many treats. You do not want to harm your horses by allowing them to only ever eat treats or to become disobedient because they always expect treats from you or others.

I hope that this article helped you determine what treats are and are not safe for your horse. I hope it also gave you some ideas on how to and how not to feed your horse their treats. I enjoy my horses and I enjoy giving them treats. I'm sure that you will as well.

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