Giving your horse treats is fun until a finger gets nipped. To prevent this, always offer treats on a flat, open palm—never pinched between your fingers. Horses can’t always tell where the treat ends and your finger begins. Feed one treat at a time, and stand to the side of the horse, not directly in front. Don’t feed an excited or pushy horse, or you’ll be rewarding that behavior.
- Commercial horse treats and cookies are formulated with horses in mind, making them convenient and easy to portion.
- Carrots are one of the most popular horse treats. Before feeding carrots, wash and cut them lengthwise or into coins. A whole carrot can become a choking hazard.
- Apples are another classic horse treat, but you’ll want to remove the core and seeds before feeding. Cut apples into slices or small chunks. Like carrots, whole apples are a choking risk.
Offer treats as a reward or training tool, but do so in moderation, especially for metabolic horses.
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