# What do you ue as horse treats?



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I have always thought of horse treats as apples or carrots. Michigan deer hunters have created a market for bruised apples and oversized carrots. In the fall, most gas stations sell them. So, I buy a bag now and then.

I know people that give hard candy, like peppermint candies, as horse treats. My horses never liked them.

But I have discovered horse cocaine! Hard, store bought Ginger Snap cookies. My horses go nuts for Ginger Snaps. Anyone ever try this?


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

No, I haven't but I imagine they are horse crack. I buy smallish oblong treats (different flavors, this bag is apple) because they have to fit up the hole in fatty the air fern's anti-graze muzzle. They are her treat for dropping her head so I can put it on her easily.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

haypoint said:


> I have always thought of horse treats as apples or carrots. Michigan deer hunters have created a market for bruised apples and oversized carrots. In the fall, most gas stations sell them. So, I buy a bag now and then.
> 
> I know people that give hard candy, like peppermint candies, as horse treats. My horses never liked them.
> 
> But I have discovered horse cocaine! Hard, store bought Ginger Snap cookies. My horses go nuts for Ginger Snaps. Anyone ever try this?


YES! Especially our pony.
One of my horses was crazy for black licorice.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

I get the apple wafers, a bag lasts quite a long time. The carrots and apples tend to go bad before they get used up, moldy if left to sit in the barn, so sometimes they were wasted. The apple treats, cheapest ones, biggest bag for the money, are now the most used ones here. They keep very well for LONG times, since we only give them when harnessing horses, so no wasted money on them.

We are not much for treats, can get the horses being pushy, nosey, WANTING the treat. Harnessing, horse has to stick his head thru the breastcollar, so worth giving the treat to make it happen easily. Gets another treat when taking breastcollar off. That is about the only time anyone gets a treat at all. Horses like the reward, are easy to harness when they help that way. 

Haven't tried the gingersnaps.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I give treats because I want to watch their eyes light up. But in their buckets, not by hand.
I've never given treats as part of training except for coming when called. Then I shout "dinner." And watch them run in to look in their buckets.
Otherwise, I found that giving a treat increases excitement in training when what I want is actually less excitement.


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

My mare loved the hard candy sticks - about the length of a pencil, a little thicker, assorted flavors. It was her "at the county fair" treat.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Nice to just call them and they come running. Sort of spooked them with the camera.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX_7dKzKkUc[/ame]


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Mine love the Dumor apple & carrot flavored treats.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Oh heck yeah! Ginger Snaps are an all time favorite of my guys. I don't treat often, but I use a few things when I do. They love peppermints in individual wrappers. I can get my big TB mare to come in at a gallop by just rattling the wrapper paper a bit

They like carrots and apples a lot. 

My big gelding loves Twizzlers. One of my mares likes Triscuits. One likes Peanut Butter sandwiches. They all love Peppermint Horse cookies, but the herd favorite of actual horse treats are Nicker Makers. They love them...


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## Helgen (Jan 1, 2015)

I haven't tried ginger snap cookies yet, but mine love peppermint candy canes. I buy as many as I can in the after Christmas sales when their cheap.
To help with bridling my horses I wrap there bit mouthpiece with fruit roll-ups, they love taking the bit then!!!!


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

I always worried that I wouldn't have treats when I needed them so I don't give anything like that. My animals are all over when I holler up. A good scratch on the belly is about it. You know, that place in the middle of their belly that they can't get to.
If we are working I'll hang a feed bag after, while I'm removing harness. Especially in the winter to help them keep their heat. They like that. I think that my bay molly would crawl in the feed bag and roll if she would fit.
But they don't get anything, besides a lot of pettin, unless they are at the rail.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I use treats as treats and not as some form of supplement or bribery but I do know that homemade monster ginger cookies are a hit because somebody I gave birth to had a tendency to share her goodies with the horses. 

She also indicated they like shortbread, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies and most of her sandwiches, which might have something to do with her growing to 4'10". 

I used to use commercial apple wafers as treats until it was discovered that they might be made with crack and my gelding not only felt he needed them, he got quite pushy about it so I tend to treat with a small handful of uncooked pasta.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Handful of grass, hay cubes broken up to 1cm size, horse pellets, oats, corn, mulberries(newest one, they discovered my Mulberry tree this past month and have been hoover vacuuming them up as they fall!)

If I happen to have left over apples, I'll cut them up into 1.5in sections and give them to the horses. I even use some leafy greens from the garden as I prune plants. 

Then again...I have pigs for horses....lol


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

wr said:


> I use treats as treats and not as some form of supplement or bribery but I do know that homemade monster ginger cookies are a hit because somebody I gave birth to had a tendency to share her goodies with the horses.
> 
> She also indicated they like shortbread, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies and most of her sandwiches, which might have something to do with her growing to 4'10".
> 
> I used to use commercial apple wafers as treats until it was discovered that they might be made with crack and my gelding not only felt he needed them, he got quite pushy about it so I tend to treat with a small handful of uncooked pasta.


I give a treat very rarely, but mine do love them when I do. I found them pushy as a group if I gave treats too often, so now it's only after a really good riding session or after a difficult vet visit or similar. My oldsters...I'm a little soft about them and they tend to get cookies more often . My youngsters...not so much but for a job well done!


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## mulemom (Feb 17, 2013)

We've been using broken up alfalfa cubes for everything. They're cheap and a bag lasts a long time. Horses, mules, donkey and cows love them but they don't get too pushy over them. Christmas is different, everything including the chickens gets apple slices.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

mulemom said:


> We've been using broken up alfalfa cubes for everything. They're cheap and a bag lasts a long time. Horses, mules, donkey and cows love them but they don't get too pushy over them. Christmas is different, everything including the chickens gets apple slices.


I do horse Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners too, apple slices with a drizzle of maple syrup. I don't usually announce it tho cuz of the funny looks I get. 

The dogs and cats get canned food.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

For food treats, I have used cherries, carrots, oats, corn, apples. They get treats for behaving well or for training, not just to be nice.

Non food treats would be brushing, scratching, opening the pasture to fresh grass.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Having corn on the cob tonight reminded me of another treat they all love. CORN HUSKS! I wouldn't want to give them a bunch like if you were putting up sweet corn but I only shucked 4 ears so it got thrown over the fence.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Teej said:


> Having corn on the cob tonight reminded me of another treat they all love. CORN HUSKS! I wouldn't want to give them a bunch like if you were putting up sweet corn but I only shucked 4 ears so it got thrown over the fence.


The warmblood mare had never had corn husks (I don't' think she'd ever had a treat before she landed here) and wouldn't try them for the longest time. They are one of her favorites now.


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

Had my wife stop at Dollar General after reading this. She picked up a bag of GINGER SNAPS 1.39, should have been 1 dollar in my thoughts! 
Anyway, WOW! My 3 horses just loved them! So did I!
Told my wife, we'll give em Ginger Snaps for being GOOD! And she can give me all the Ginger Snaps she wants for me being GOOD!
Gives me something to work for! HEE! HEE!
My horses THANK YOU!
Terry


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

I keep a bag of alfalfa cubes and packer's cubes in the feed room and they work for sheep, goats, chickens and horses alike if someone needs a goodie now and then.


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## Phean (Dec 16, 2012)

I like using cattle cubes. They are big enough to have a few in your pocket and to use as a training tool. However they are same size/color (sort of) as fingers.


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## majiksummer (Sep 13, 2012)

My gelding now refuses everything but grain/pellets :hammer: I had a mare that I showed in 4h as a teenager though that loved the weirdest things. She stole nachos off the fender of the trailer, she liked hot dogs smothered in ketchup, and she loved root beer! She was a goofy horse! Such a huge personality and so quirky. She'd stand tied to the trailer all day at a show almost asleep but you had to untie her to saddle her. She'd stand like a rock ground tied to saddle but tie her solid and shed bust halters and flip over backwards. She'd bathe and clip and just about anything else tied just not saddle. Quirky quirky horse.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I'd be interested in hearing from any horse owners that just feed horse treats, grain or cattle cubes, then try ginger snaps. Just as an experiment. If the horse doesn't like ginger snaps, you can eat them yourself. :sing:


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

haypoint said:


> I'd be interested in hearing from any horse owners that just feed horse treats, grain or cattle cubes, then try ginger snaps. Just as an experiment. If the horse doesn't like ginger snaps, you can eat them yourself. :sing:


 I wish I'd read this earlier because I made a trip to town today and would have given it a go. I have to be out and about Friday night so I'll stop and pick up some then. Some of mine are very picky at what they'll even put in their mouth based on smell so it will be interesting to see which ones will even try them and which ones won't. Since none of my porkers really need the sugar for the sake of experimenting I'll just have to force the majority of the cookies down my throat.:cute:


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Guess I'm a cruel momma. 

I learned early on that treats encourage pocket snifters and biting. No treats for my poor abused equines since I was about 10. A pat and a good word has to suffice. 

And since I've had OLD horses, I never let anyone else give treats either. One little apple chunk or carrot, and I have a case of choke on my hands. BTDT too many times to ask for trouble.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

The old rancher is going to be mad because I got his horse hooked on ginger snaps but that's what he gets for leaving me to do chores we don't have to rope the cranky old ranch horse anymore :rotfl:


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

Did my barn chores in a hurry tonight so no opinions yet from the quarters and paints. The dog and minis loved them though.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

So tonight I got the input from everyone else. 

Cloud & Flash wouldn't go further than smelling them.

Gamble & Este each took one but then spit it out.

Freckles ate hers but didn't beg for more.

Thunder, Teej, and Cutter would have liked to have had the whole sack. In fact I gave the cookies before feeding and even after they ate each one walked up to see if I had any of those good cookies left. Those 3 along with the 3 minis could easily become COOKIE MONSTERS! LOL


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