Equerry Horse Feeds Senior Nutritionist, Louise Jones provides some advice when it comes to feeding treats.

Question:

You hear so many mixed views on giving horses and ponies treats. As a nutritionist do you feel they should be limited?

Answer

Everyone enjoys a treat once in a while and your horse is no different. Whether as a reward, or just because you love your horse, there’s nothing wrong with feeding them a small treat every now and then.

Apples and carrots are the most popular treats amongst horse owners. Contrary to popular belief feeding a fresh carrot or apple will not provide the horse with too much sugar. In fact, fresh carrots contain approximately 5% sugar, which is less than would be provided in hay.

However storing fresh fruit or vegetables can be a pain; as it tends to rot and can attract vermin. Equerry Minty Horse Treats are the perfect alternative. These low sugar treats combine the natural goodness of peppermint and spearmint and are completely cereal-grain free. Available in convenient 1.8kg tubs, they are easy to keep fresh and perfect to take with you in the horsebox.

Some horses can get too pushy if regularly fed treats by hand, in these cases it’s safest to put the treats in their feed bucket. Finally, remember that there are certain foods that aren’t suitable as treats, for example: chocolate, which contains banned substances (i.e. caffeine and theobromine).

If you need simplifying your horses feeding regimes simply call the Equerry Feedline for practical, friendly advice on 01845 565640