With Halloween approaching, it’s never more tempting to treat your favorite equine friend to some of the festive bounty. After all, they deserve to have a ‘sweet’ life too!
Treats to share with your equine partner:
Hard candies such as Jolly Ranchers, mints, and butterscotch discs
Sugar in a traditional crunchy form is always a win! Just make sure you treat with fingers out and candy in the palm of the hand to avoid overly eager teeth!
Pumpkin
Classic orange pumpkins are abundant this time of year and a great treat for your pony pals! Fresh is best! The easiest and safest way to feed pumpkin is chopped into smaller, manageable pieces. And don’t skimp on the seeds! Pumpkin seeds, safe to feed raw or cooked, are an excellent source of zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. Pumpkin seeds are also a safe treat for metabolic horses. (If sharing pumpkin, make sure your pieces are free of wax, candle soot, and any sign of rot, as well as being stalk-free, as these can present a choking hazard.)
Candy Corn
Though the heated subject of taste debate in humans, most horses are delighted by these colorful little kernels of pure sugar! If you’re not a fan yourself, we’re sure your horse would love to take any and all candy corn off your hands.
Fruity candies such as Smarties, Skittles, or Necco wafers
Fruit plus candy is a perfect combination that almost every horse can appreciate!
Rice Krispie treats
Cooked or puffed rice cereal is horse-safe, and melted marshmallows are easier on teeth then intact pillowy marshmallows.
Treats to avoid:
Chocolate
The smallest amount of the chemical theobromine,found in the cocoa used to make chocolate, will test positive on drug tests. But a large amount can be toxic, causing damage to the central nervous system, heart and kidneys.
Tough chewy candies such as taffy and gummy bears
These super sticky treats could be very frustrating for horses because the candy will stick to their molars and could be hard to swallow.
Licorice
Even though licorice is considered safe, it is a substance that will come up positive in drug tests. Best to avoid Twizzlers and other variations that are flavored with licorice root if you expect to hit the show scene with your equine partner.
A whole bag of candy
A little extra Halloween treat is fine for most horses. But just as with kids coming home from trick-or-treating with bags full of candy, you’ll want to moderate their consumption to avoid the problems that come from overindulgence. If your horse has equine metabolic syndrome, Cushing’s, or Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM), it may be the safest bet to skip the candy altogether and indulge in a low sugar horse treat or some extra scratches.
Photos @ Adobe Stock
FAQs
Acceptable Horse Treats
- Apples: This is a safe treat. ...
- Carrots: This is a safe treat. ...
- Peaches: This is a safe treat. ...
- Bananas: This is a safe treat. ...
- Cucumber: This is a safe treat. ...
- Peppermints: This is a safe treat. ...
- Sugar cubes: This is a safe treat. ...
- Commercial treats: This is a safe treat.
Fruity candies, like Smarties, Skittles and Jolly Ranchers, do not contain theobromine and are a safe in small doses, just like peppermints. One other fall-themed edible that can be a big hit with your horse is pumpkin and other types of squash.
Can horses eat gummy bears? ›
Other treats such as peppermints and sugar cubes are safe for horses in small amounts as well, even though they are not found naturally (but boy, if they were!). Jelly beans, gummy bears, carrot cake, and gingersnap cookies may be fed to horses occasionally as unique rewards.
Can horses eat peanut M&Ms? ›
It has been shown that the feeding of 10 M&M's® with peanuts would produce a detectable concentration of theobromine and caffeine in the horse's urine for 48 hours.
Can I give my horse Jello? ›
Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in animals, making up about 30% of the body's total protein content. Feeding gelatin to horses could increase the dietary supply of amino acids, such as glycine and proline, thereby conferring health benefits.
Can you give a horse an apple? ›
Almost any fruits, and many vegetables, are safe treats for healthy horses. Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas.
Can you give horses Mentos? ›
It's true that peppermint has many benefits for your horse's overall health. However, it's important to ensure you're not giving your horse too much. For example, a healthy horse can be given one human peppermint candy as a treat one or two times in a day without any problems.
Can horses eat peanut butter? ›
Peanut butter is actually safe for horses to eat, but you do need to be wary of feeding too much. The main reason is because peanut butter is high in calories and oil.
Do horses like Jolly Ranchers? ›
Horses can safely eat candies like candy canes, lifesaver mints, hard butterscotch candies, jolly ranchers, and even skittles! Peppermint candies are a more common sugary treat to give to your horse, but since many candies have the same ingredients, you can safely offer your horse some of your favorite candies.
What is toxic to horses? ›
The nightshade family contains many toxic plants, including horse nettle, black nightshade, bittersweet nightshade, some species of groundcherry, and even tomatoes and potatoes. The plants can contain toxins such as alkaloids, saponins, and nitrates.
Just like dogs and cats, you shouldn't give chocolate to your horses, too. Chocolates are known to have an ingredient called theobromine, which can cause seizures and internal bleeding. It can lead to increased heart rate, restlessness, muscle tremors, and diarrhoea. Your horses can react negatively to these chemicals.
Do horses eat hotdogs? ›
Hot dogs, hamburgers, tuna fish, ham or even roastbeef sandwiches! Sugar candies such as jelly beans, gummy bears, peppermints, etc. Carrots in very large quantities only (over 5 lbs day)!
Can horses have bananas? ›
Bananas are a healthy source of potassium for horses and are a fruit they really enjoy eating. Bananas are a very popular food for riders to give their race horses as they give that extra boost of energy. You can feed bananas to horses with the skin still on as the whole fruit is beneficial for their health.
Can horses eat rice krispies? ›
Some of our horses at the stables enjoy stranger snacks. Cooper famously loves rice crispy treats. If you crinkle the wrapper he will come galloping to the gate.
Can horses eat Halloween pumpkins? ›
Can we feed pumpkins to horses and ponys? The short answer is yes, like most fruits and vegetables, horses can eat pumpkins in moderation.
Are Jolly Ranchers safe for horses? ›
Horses can safely eat candies like candy canes, lifesaver mints, hard butterscotch candies, jolly ranchers, and even skittles! Peppermint candies are a more common sugary treat to give to your horse, but since many candies have the same ingredients, you can safely offer your horse some of your favorite candies.
What mints are safe for horses? ›
“Peppermint-flavored treats made especially for horses and peppermint candy won't likely cause any problems, especially if they're given sparingly, such as once a day,” said Whitehouse. “Hog-wild consumption, of course, is not recommended.
Can horses eat hard peppermint candy? ›
It's true that peppermint has many benefits for your horse's overall health. However, it's important to ensure you're not giving your horse too much. For example, a healthy horse can be given one human peppermint candy as a treat one or two times in a day without any problems.
