How to Choose Healthy Horse Treats

Healthy treats with lower sugar content are available, and this is very important for horses prone to obesity, metabolic diseases, and laminitis. Small horses, ponies, and donkeys should be fed treats sparingly.

There are a few things to avoid feeding as treats. Grass clippings and dried leaves may be poisonous in even small amounts, as can many ornamental plants such as oleander and rhododendron. Some vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts may cause more gas buildup in the digestive tract and should be avoided to prevent certain types of spasmodic or gas colic.

Any treat should be carefully inspected for rot or mold, as this can also be toxic. Finally, it is important to never feed a horse grain intended for livestock. Cattle and chicken feed contain additives that are not toxic for them but can be fatal for horses.

How to Give Treats Safely

Unfortunately, horses that are given treats too frequently often can develop a habit of begging. This can get quite annoying; horses may pull at pockets and zippers and generally invade personal space. It can even be dangerous, as a horse nipping at hands can result in bite injuries. 

One of the major ways to avoid this is to never feed treats out of your hand and instead feed from a pail or bucket. However, this can be impractical if you’re trying to positively reinforce behaviors outside of the stable, such as quietly leading in hand. Another way to prevent the impolite behavior of nuzzling for treats is to never reward this behavior. Horses should only get a treat as a reward offered and should never “ask” for one.

When giving a treat, hold the treat in the flat of your hand, and don't pull your hand away to prevent the horse from lunging for the treat. Even a polite horse may mistake a segment of carrot for fingers, and horse incisors have powerful crushing ability. 12

Other Types of Positive Reinforcements

If your horse has dietary requirements that prohibit feeding of treats or has become too pushy to receive food as a treat, other options for bonding and positive reinforcement exist. Clicker training is an exciting way to communicate and train animals of many species, and it certainly works on horses!

Horses are also remarkably sensitive to the emotions of their caretakers. Just like people, horses respond favorably to praise. Finally, a good way to bond with your horse and maintain their health is by careful grooming, which is also a non-food treat!