Horse treats can be a simple and fun way to treat your equine friends without needing an oven. While we can’t take credit for all these great recipes, we’re happy to compile them all in one place for you to use during this holiday season.

Here’s are a few basic bake and no-bake recipes for horse treats:

Simple No-bake Horse Treat

Ingredients:

• Oats – The main ingredient, which is nutritious and loved by most horses.
• Molasses – Provides sweetness and helps bind the ingredients together.
• Carrots – Optional, but many horses love them and they add a bit of crunch and nutrition.
• Apples – Also optional but can add flavor and nutrients.
• Peanut butter – Another optional ingredient that can be used to bind the treats together and add flavor.

Directions:
1. Prepare the Ingredients:
– Grate the carrots and apples (if using).
– Measure out the oats and any other dry ingredients.

2. Mixing:
– In a large bowl, combine the oats, grated carrots, and grated apples.
– If using peanut butter, melt it slightly in the microwave or on the stove to make it easier to mix. Add it to the bowl.
– Pour in molasses, starting with a small amount. Mix everything well. Add more molasses if needed to make a sticky mixture that holds together.

3. Forming the Treats:
– Using your hands or a spoon, form the mixture into small balls or patties. If it’s too sticky, you can wet your hands slightly with water or oil to prevent sticking.
– Place the formed treats on a tray or plate lined with parchment paper.

4. Refrigerate:
– Let the treats chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or until they firm up.

5. Storage:
– Once the treats are firm, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

Recipe courtesy of OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT [Large language model].

The Ultimate Horse Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot
• 1 apple
• 1/2 cup molasses (or honey)
• 2 cups oats
• 1/2-3/4 cup flour (or make oat flour by throwing some oats into a blender/food processor)
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300-325 degrees
• Grate the carrot and finely chop the apple
• Mix together all of the ingredients. Please keep in mind that depending on variations such as the size/type of apple, what kind of oats you use (rolled or steel-cut oats don’t absorb as much moisture as quickly as quick oats), whether you use honey or molasses, etc. you may need to tweak the amounts of the ingredients. You should be able to squeeze a ball of dough in your hand and it shouldn’t fall apart.)
• Roll and press into balls with your hands and place them on a greased baking sheet. If the dough is too sticky add more flour and/or water
• Bake for about 28-32 minutes on the middle rack, checking on them often, until golden brown
• Cool and store in a sealed container and use within a week. They’ll stay the freshest stored in the fridge

Recipe courtesy of Tanya Davenport

Earth Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill ground flax seed
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill oat flour
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup frozen blackberries

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Soak ground flaxseed in warm water for 10 minutes until it turns a gelatinous consistency.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flax-and-water mixture with sugar.
• Stir in oat flour, oatmeal, salt, and cinnamon until well-combined.
• Pour batter into a greased mini-muffin pan.
• Firmly press one berry thick side down into each muffin.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Michelle N. Anderson of The Horse Magazine

Homemade Oatmeal Horse Treats

Ingredients: 

• 1 large Carrot
• 1 large Apple
• 1 cup Molasses
• 2 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 Tablespoons Oil

Directions: 

• Shred the carrot and the apple into a large bowl.
• Add in the oil, oats, and molasses. Stir to combine well so that all the oats are covered in the molasses.
• Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pat the treats down with a spoon or with your fingers so they are flattened into the pan.
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until they begin to get crispy.
• Remove the treats from the oven and let them cool for a while. The treats will harden slightly as they cool. Once they are hardened you can score into pieces.

Recipe courtesy of LittleHouseLiving.com

Remember to always introduce new treats slowly to your horse’s diet and observe them for any adverse reactions. Enjoy making these tasty treats for your equine friends and happy holidays to all!