This Homemade Horse Treat Recipe is 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 treats down for them so I decided to make some homemade horse treats instead of just purchasing them from the store.
Simple Homemade Horse Treats
The kids and I made these homemade horse treats together in about 20 minutes total. It was extremely simple and the recipe only required 5 ingredients–> That’s my kind of recipe! Try them out for yourself and be sure to let me know what you (and your horses) think about them!
Homemade Horse Treats Ingredients:
- 3 cups Oats
(I used Quick Oats)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 chopped or grated carrots
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1 cup applesauce
(I used Quick Oats)
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Homemade Horse Treats Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Grease or line a baking sheet to keep the treats from sticking.
- Mix the oats and the flour together in a large bowl until they are combined well.
- Finely chop or grate the carrots. My food processor is broken, so my carrots aren’t as fine as I would like.
- Now you can stir in the applesauce and molasses. Mix well.
- Roll the treat mixture into balls (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 ponies eat up!
Simply let these treats cool off and then store them in a gallon Ziploc Bag
You could even add treat making to your kids’ chore list! It is a fun activity and they can give them directly to the animals themselves!
You can switch up the ingredients a little bit if you want…add in some finely chopped apples, ground cinnamon, crushed peppermint, etc…just BE SURE that whatever you add is safe for horses.
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Jamie Marie says
Awesome, I will have to make some of these for Annabelle (my cow). Thanks for sharing with us on the homesteader hop!
Faithful Farmwife says
Let me know how she likes them! Love the name Annabelle, by the way! 🙂
Crystal says
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 🙂
Faithful Farmwife says
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:)
Anita schoolcraft says
I made the horse treats ,the horse and dog both loved them.Will make weakly
Regina says
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!
Faithful Farmwife says
These treats turned out pretty chewy for us 🙂
Kelcie's Limited says
Really amazing article. I really appreciated your content about the homemade horse treats. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa says
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.