How to Make Simple Homemade Horse Treats
Make homemade horse treats for the equine members of your family with this simple recipe! It only takes 7 ingredients and about 20 minutes! It’s simple, affordable, and kid-safe!
When I was a teenager, I tried my best to convince my parents that I needed a horse. They didn’t realize at the time how serious I was about entering the world of agriculture so they made me a half-hearted deal.
They said that if I would fence an area and build a shelter for a horse that they were game for purchasing an equine companion for me.
It was the dead of winter so they had serious doubts that I would follow through, but my will broke through the ice in the ground and the fence & shelter became a reality.
Long story short, I purchased my first horse, named him Oreo, and continued to grow my love for animals every year since.
Now I have 4 kiddos who have developed a deep bond with their pony, Ginger. Ginger came from a wonderful family on the other side of the state. My husband knew this family from the barn where he rode when he was younger.
They were looking to re-home this sweet girl because their children had outgrown her. The mother knew that we had children and were in the market for a horse so she gave her to us! We were so thankful for her generosity!
We purchased our second horse, a Tennessee Walking Horse/Percheron cross named Pearl, after my husband got jealous of the kids’ pony and we bought one more horse, Bailey, shortly after.
Ginger, Pearl, and Bailey have outgoing and lovable personalities, they enjoy long walks by the pond, and they both have a major sweet tooth.
They absolutely LOVE it when we bring a special treat down for them on hot summer days so I decided to make some homemade horse treats instead of just purchasing them from the store.
Simple Homemade Horse Treat Recipe
The kids and I make this yummy snack in about 20 minutes total. It was extremely simple and the recipe only required 5 ingredients!
You could add treat making to your kids’ chore list! It is a fun activity and they can give them directly to the animals themselves!
We feed these delicious homemade horse treats to our goats, dogs, and even our kiddos…Everyone loves them! Try them out for yourself and be sure to let me know what you (and your horses) think about them!
Homemade Horse Treat Ingredients:
- 3 cups Oatmeal (I used Quick Oats)
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 2 chopped or grated carrots
- 1 large apple (diced)
- 1/4 cup Molasses or ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 1 TBSP Vegetable Oil or Coconut Oil
You can switch up the ingredients a little bit if you want. Ideas of more wholesome ingredients to add to your horse treats:
- tsp cinnamon
- crushed peppermint candies
- ½ cup of raisins
- ground flax seed
- 1/2 can pumpkin puree
Just BE SURE that whatever you add into your mix is safe for horses to consume.
Homemade Horse Treats Directions:
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
STEP 2
Grease a cookie sheet to keep the treats from sticking OR line the cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper instead of using grease if you prefer.
STEP 3
Finely chop or grate 2 large carrots and 1 apple into small pieces. A food processor works great for this if you have one, but a blender works just fine. If you don’t have either, you can use a knife to cut them up as small as you can.
STEP 4
Mix the oats and the flour together in a large mixing bowl until they are combined well.
STEP 5
Now you can stir in the applesauce and ¼ cup of molasses into the oat mixture. Combine these ingredients well using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer.
STEP 6
Roll the treat mixture into small balls (or whatever size you want to give to your horses). If they are too crumbly, add a little more honey. If they are too sticky, add more oats and/or flour.
STEP 7
Place the uncooked horse treats onto the greased or lined baking pan and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.
Remove the treats with a spatula and place them in a container for storage. Use a spatula even if you properly greased or lined your pan. Sometimes the bottoms stick just a little and a spatula will keep them from pulling apart.
STEP 8
Let your horses enjoy as an occasional treat!
How to Store Horse Treats
These treats are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cool temperature in the fridge slows the growth of mold so the treats last longer.
I don’t recommend storing them longer than a week so if you won’t be able to use the full amount that this horse treat recipe makes within a week, just cut the ingredient measurements in half.
Homemade Horse Treats
Ingredients
- 3 cups Oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 large carrots, chopped or grated
- 1/4 cup Molasses or Honey
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 large apple, diced or chopped
- 1 TBSP Vegetable Oil or Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Grease a cookie sheet to keep the treats from sticking OR line the cookie sheet with parchment paper instead of using grease if you prefer.
- Finely chop or grate 2 large carrots into small pieces. A food processor works great for this if you have one.
- Mix the oats and the flour together in a large bowl until they are combined well.
- Now you can stir in the applesauce and molasses. Mix well.
- Roll the treat mixture into small balls (or whatever size you want to give to your horses).
- Place the uncooked treats onto the greased or lined baking pan and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.
- Let your horses enjoy as an occasional treat!
More Livestock Resources
- Homemade Summer Chicken Treats
- Homemade Winter Chicken Treats
- Homemade Rabbit Treats
- The Horse Record Book
Pin “How to Make Simple Homemade Horse Treats” for Later!
Awesome, I will have to make some of these for Annabelle (my cow). Thanks for sharing with us on the homesteader hop!
Let me know how she likes them! Love the name Annabelle, by the way! 🙂
So is the cow I’m making them for!!!
Can you use instant oatmeal from the packages you microwave? Jw bc I have that but not regular oats. They are plain but not the like rolled oats I don’t think
I would be careful with added sugars and other ingredients included in those packs. Just read the ingredient list to make sure there is nothing that horses can’t have.
Oh I’m excited to try and make these! My daughter always wants to bring apples, as the horse love apples BUT somehow it always turns into grabbing an apple out of “her” fruit basket to bring. This would be a win in both ways 🙂
My daughter kept loading our girls up with peppermints…The horses loved it, but can we say “sugar overload”?? These treats are a nice balance of sweet & healthy so again, it’s a win-win:)
I made the horse treats ,the horse and dog both loved them.Will make weakly
Are these hard and crunchy? My 31 y/o has trouble chewing hard stuff so I need them chewy. If you have any tips on how to make them so, please let me know. Thanks!
These treats turned out pretty chewy for us 🙂
Really amazing article. I really appreciated your content about the homemade horse treats. Thanks for sharing.
Have these in the oven now! I’m excited to take them to Riley and Skidder tomorrow morning…I love seeing them ready to greet me at the gate and this will make it extra special.
Can you freeze these for about 1 or two weeks?
Yes!! Freezing them will keep mold from growing on them. They won’t taste as fresh when they thaw, but I don’t think the horses will mind 🙂
Do you add the coconut oil to the mixture or is this for greasing the cookie sheet? Also, do you use one or two apples…the two ingredient lists on the page say two different things! Thanks! I’m excited to use these treats as pill pockets for our boy Tex who needs arthritis medication.
Sorry! I need to update that! The coconut oil is for greasing the cookie sheet and it should be 1 apple. Thank you for pointing that out 🙂
Wow these recipes were amazing ! My Pony loved them they were super easy and just so fun to make thanks so much!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My five horses 3 minis 2 big and also rescuing a another big horse and i think this will make her feel more welcoming! can you make goat treats because we have 12 goats! Also the goats did not like the treatsbut the horses, donkeys, pigs loved it! Thank you!
Do you have to add the apple sauce?
You don’t 🙂
Is there a recipe for soft horse treats that I can put arthritis meds in that will not mold? I will be gone weeks at a time for work & need something I can leave for the barn staff to easily give to my pony.
In that situation, I would just put the medication into a small piece of banana to feed to the horses 🙂 Most treats like this will mold unless kept in the fridge and the fridge will cause them to not be soft enough to push a capsule in.
Do you core or peel the apple?
I dice it so the core is cut out, but I leave the peel on.
I’m rolling them and they are wet but not sticky
I don’t know what to do
Please help me
It is wet but not sticky and it falls apart as I roll it
In that case, I would add more oats or flour.
Great post on how to make homemade horse treats! I love how easy and simple the recipe is. It’s also great to know that we can control the ingredients and ensure that our horses are getting only the best. In addition to the ingredients you’ve mentioned, you might also consider adding some best calming supplement for horses to the mix to help keep your horse relaxed and focused. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I would use gluten free flour instead so I won’t have to worry about colic would that work?
These are great my Dodge loves them,this time I made them with beetpulp shreds. This is on of m favorite recipes to make him,thank you
Thoughts on dehydrating them after baking so they remain stable longer?
Thanks,
Monique
I think that’s a great idea! Here are instructions from Excalibur for dehydrating peanut butter balls. Click here for the instructions. That should work for the horse treats as well.
Great recipe! I’ve been making for the deer and squirrels (and other wildlife that come in the night – opposum, rabbits, skunks and who knows what else!)
I add a few crushed nuts, blueberries, banana, or whatever else I may have around.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you love it!! Those additions sounds yummy!
Do these need to be baked, or can they just be rolled and refrigerated?
I love these! I swapped the apple sause with chia seeds and water and it turned out great!
Havent giving them to my horses yet but I’ve tried a few and they are delicious!