Ep. 124: 4 Safe Treats to Give Your Horse This Holiday Season (and Some to Avoid)

Episode Notes

The holidays are full of tempting treats (not just for humans, but horses too!), but which ones are safe to share with your horse? 

On this episode of the Feeding Fumbles & Fixes series of Beyond the Barn, host Katy Starr and Dr. Kelly Vineyard discuss four safe, but festive horse treat options to consider this holiday season, plus some common treats and seasonal hazards you’ll want to avoid, including: 

• One popular fall treat that comes with an unexpected nutrition myth, and what horse owners should know before feeding it
• How to make holiday treats more enjoyable for your horse while keeping individual dietary needs in mind
• The surprising seasonal hazards that could pose a bigger risk to your horse than even the occasional holiday snack 

Don’t be afraid to spoil your horse this holiday season but know what to watch out for to keep them safe and healthy. 

🎧 Listen now on the Beyond the Barn podcast 

Have a topic idea or feedback to share? We want to connect with you! Email podcast@standlee.com 

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Where to Find - 

Apple & Pumpkin NutriBakes Horse Treats - https://www.standleeforage.com/products/nutribakes-alfalfa-apple-pumpkin-horse-treats/ 

Research – 

1:29 – “Selection and acceptance of flavours in concentrate diets for stabled horses” – UK study on horse flavor preferences. 

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*Views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Standlee Premium Products, LLC.* 

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Read full episode transcript

Katy Starr (00:01): 

Hi, I'm Katy Starr, and you're listening to Beyond the Barn. Join me on this journey as we bust equine and livestock nutrition myths and sit down with some of the most intriguing experts from across the country. We'll also take you behind the scenes of how premium Western quality forage is grown and brought to your favorite farm and ranch retail store. I'm so glad you're here. 

 

Katy Starr (00:28): 

Welcome back to the Beyond the Barn podcast. We're back to our Feeding Fumbles and Fixes series. It's all about learning from real life feeding mistakes and experiences and finding simple, practical ways to make improvements for your horse ownership journey. In this episode, we're discussing some of the best treat options to offer your horse, and what makes them a safe choice, along with some you'll want to avoid. As a reminder, any of the topics we cover on the Beyond the Barn podcast are more generalized and not specific to any individual horse or any specific situation. Be sure to always work with your veterinarian and nutritionist before making any drastic changes to your horse's feed program, or you can reach out to us to talk directly with our PhD equine nutritionists on any specifics you'd like to know. We all know horses love their hay and grain, but they have a palate that goes well beyond those. 

 

Katy Starr (01:20): 

Horses can enjoy a surprisingly wide variety of flavors, and research has actually looked at which ones they prefer, with some results that might surprise you. We'll link one of those studies in the show notes if you want to read more about horse flavor preferences. And that got me thinking about all the fun flavors that show up around the holidays and which ones are actually safe to share with our horses. So, today, we're counting down four safe treats to feed your horses as we head into the holiday season, and ones you'll definitely want to make sure to avoid. The goal of this episode is to give you some safe treats to consider for your horses, and we're getting festive with the options from Dr. Vineyard today as they fit well into this time of year. So, Dr. Vineyard, about treat number four that is a safe option for your horse, pumpkin. Talk to us about that one. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (02:13): 

Yeah, I mean, if we're on the holiday theme, I feel like pumpkin has to kind of start us off, you know? There's pumpkins everywhere this time of year, in the fall, and horses like pumpkin, or generally they do, and it's safe to feed it to them raw or cooked. And even the seeds are okay, pumpkin seeds. So, you do want to remove the stem, so don't let them chew on the stem. I think that could be a choke hazard. And any type of decorative pumpkin or not your jack-o'-lantern that the candle has like melted into and it probably has rotted, that's not a good idea. Don't feed your old jack-o'-lantern to your horse. However, it's just something different. It's something fun for, holiday themed. I would say keep it max, a cup, maybe two cups at the most per day. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (03:06): 

And yeah, that's a really something different, you know? And you could even cut the stem out, dig out some of the pulp and let them play with it, as an enrichment, in their stall. That's kind of a fun thing to do too. Something fun about pumpkin that you might read on the internet, that's, I want to myth bust a little bit though, is pumpkin seeds, while a horse can eat a few of those safely, sometimes you'll see those being touted as a natural dewormer. And I just want to point that out that no, they are not a natural dewormer. Don't rely on them as an anti-parasitic, but there's no evidence that that works in horses. But as a treat, sure, works as a great treat. 

 

Katy Starr (03:51): 

Well, and I know people like to decorate with pumpkins, and sometimes they have them around for a little bit obviously before they get to their mold stage and they're kind of getting rotted out and everything. But I think it's such a great way to repurpose something that is being used and not waste it and gives this horse a little something different to eat and enjoy. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (04:12): 

Yeah, a little something, little treat, that's right. 

 

Katy Starr (04:14): 

Yeah. But I'm glad you mentioned that because that is probably a question between that and Christmas trees. Those are two questions we get every year about whether it's okay to feed their horses. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (04:27): 

Well, the pumpkin is fine. I mean, you're going to have them. It's Halloween, it's Thanksgiving, but no, Christmas trees, don't feed Christmas trees to your horse. 

 

Katy Starr (04:37): 

Excellent. Okay. There you go. So, treat number three that is a safe option for your horse, peppermint. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (04:43): 

I mean, peppermint. You know that's like quintessential. Number one, horses love peppermints. Number two, candy canes, Christmas, they're kind of synonymous. And most horses really do love peppermint. So, whether it's a candy cane or whether it's the traditional little small circular peppermint and a wrapper, it makes a lot of sound when you unwrap it and the horse's ears are "Huh, I know that sound." Or if they don't, they will learn it very quickly. So, yeah, a couple of pieces of peppermint are great. They are pure sugar, okay? So, obviously if you have a metabolic horse, one or two is not going to hurt. I can give you permission to give one or two, but don't give them 10. Don't give them multiple ones, it's more of a kind of a treat. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (05:26): 

But, if a horse is metabolically normal, peppermints can be a great treat because you can stuff them in your pocket and they're in the wrapper, so they're not going to break up or they're not going to get your pocket all messy, like if you have a regular treat that breaks up. But you don't want the horse to get the wrapper, right? Like, unwrap it before you're in their reach, you don't want them to grab it with the wrapper. But other than that, I think peppermints are a really fun holiday treat. 

 

Katy Starr (05:52): 

Yeah. I have these vivid memories of my dad when I was younger. He would have peppermints in his pockets all the time. And giving him his treats here and there. They were mainly treats for himself. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (06:04): 

I was going to say, was he giving them to the horses or to himself.  

 

Katy Starr (06:07): 

Once in a while.  

 

Dr. Vineyard (06:10): 

But still I'm sure, that is a really strong memory for you too, associating peppermints with your dad. 

 

Katy Starr (06:17): 

Yeah. That's great. So, treat number two, that is a safe option for your horse this holiday season. Homemade holiday horse cookies. This sounds fun. 
 

Dr. Vineyard (06:27): 

Yeah. I think this is really fun idea because with a homemade holiday horse cookie, not only can you kind of tailor a recipe yourself for your horse, and I'm going to give you some ingredients that are safe to include in the recipe, but you can also make it, a fun barn party activity. Or your horse friends, come over for Christmas, Christmas cookie baking for our horses. That might just be a fun reason to get together, but rolled oats, make great ingredient in a cookie, cinnamon, some chopped up apples, chopped up carrots, the canned pumpkin makes a good binder. Don't get the pumpkin pie filling. That one has some more sugar in it, but just the regular canned pumpkin. Molasses is another kind of good binder. Baking soda is also safe for horses, that kind of helps it rise. And you can probably Google, some recipes, or if you're really adventuresome, you can come up with your own recipe, might have to do some trial and error with the amounts. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (07:27): 

You know, just pay attention to what type of horses you're feeding. Molasses can add a little bit of sugar, so can the oats. So, if you're really worried about a metabolic horse, maybe skip the oats and skip the molasses. But that pumpkin is actually lower carbs, so that would be a good, binder for a cookie, or a cake for that matter. And that's just a fun little way to customize a recipe, maybe do it with friends, or maybe bake them and give them out, as a little barn Christmas present. I just think homemade horse cookies would be a fun thing to do, especially with kids. 

 

Katy Starr (08:03): 

Yeah. That is such a fun idea. I love that option. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (08:06): 

And you could stick a little peppermint on the top. 

 

Katy Starr (08:08): 

There you go. There you go. The icing on the cake, essentially. Okay, so treat number one, that is a safe option for your horse. Standlee Apple and Pumpkin NutriBakes. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (08:22): 

Yeah. I mean, I had to mention the NutriBakes because they're a newer line with Standlee and they're available across the country at farm and ranch retail stores. You can also order them online. And I mean, when we were talking about holiday and festive, apple and pumpkin are definitely fall-like and definitely festive. And one of the really neat things about these treats is the bags are really pretty. They kind of have a really nice design, so they, they come in a nice bag. It makes a good stocking stuffer. It makes a really nice little barn gift, if you're trying to, find some ideas to give to your horse friends. So, yeah, shout out to Standlee's in-house graphic designer, Nikki, who designed the bags. I mean, they are really pretty, and honestly, sometimes it's just easier to get a pre-made treat, right? 

 

Dr. Vineyard (09:11): 

It's just, you know it's formulated for horses. If you're like me, maybe you don't have time to cook all the time and make the homemade treats. So, if you're short on time, you can grab a bag. It's no fuss. You don't have to worry about them spoiling, but your horse will still love it. It's new to them. It's something outside of the ordinary. And these are great because they are made with an alfalfa meal base, so they're forage-based. They're fiber-forward. They've got a little added vitamin E. And yeah, just another easy option if you're not into, baking some yourself. Yeah. 

 

Katy Starr (09:48): 

You know, on a personal level I'm a person I really enjoy baking and I love making homemade cookies. But sometimes I'm in a rush and I just can't get them done. And so, you probably don't have them out in Florida, but there is a grocery store out this way called Albertson's, and Albertson's makes some really great cookies. And so, when I don't make them, that's where I go and buy them. So, I kind of think about it in the similar sense, when I don't have the time or energy to make something, but I want to be able to get something that I know is going to be good, maybe there's a great option. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (10:23): 

Yeah. You know, there's room for both, it depends on the ebb and flow of your life. You know, sometimes you have extra time and sometimes you don't. 

 

Katy Starr (10:31): 

Yep. And so, another thing that we wanted to talk about today, it's great that we're talking about some safe options. I love that we're giving people some ideas on treats to be looking at and considering for their horses over the holiday season. But there's a few things that we wanted to talk about that we wanted to make sure that we avoid with our horses because sometimes these might be some ones that people suggest or talk about on the internet or amongst our horse groups. So, let's talk about three treats that we want to avoid feeding our horses. So, human holiday treats like cookies, chocolate, and sugar-free candy sweetened with xylitol. Mm-Hmm. So, talk to us about that, Dr. Vineyard. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (11:15): 

Well, I think we're maybe all a little guilty of doing this at some point, like feeding our horses human food, especially like baked food or pre-made processed foods. But just because a human can eat something doesn't necessarily mean it is safe for horses. So, especially like if you have a packaged cookie or packaged granola bar, from the grocery store, I feel like it's better to be safe than sorry if you aren't familiar with all the ingredients. And some of these, especially treats, we're talking about Christmas treats or sweetened treats, the xylitol part, that's an artificial sweetener. And we know it's very bad for dogs and cats. Like, for our dogs, we don't want to feed the peanut butter with xylitol. That, that actually can be deadly. Not as much studies have been done in horses with xylitol, but it's definitely worth avoiding in case there are some negative reactions to it. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (12:16): 

I would recommend avoiding anything with xylitol. And a lot of stuff has xylitol in it. They're trying to be low sugar treats now, but they're still sweet. So, you have to be really careful with that. And then when you talk about cookies or candy, they're all also going to be high in sugar and starch, and a lot of times they have chocolate in them. Chocolate is something else we want to avoid with horses. Now I know, you may think, oh my gosh, my horse loves my M&Ms. They'll eat them for sure, but here's the thing, especially if you're showing, chocolate has a compound called Theobromine. Theobromine is a prohibited substance in competition. It can be a stimulant. So, it can show up on a drug test from chocolate, and there have been reports that even something as small as 10 M&Ms can show up with Theobromine. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (13:10): 

So, just avoid the chocolate, especially if you're the horse show. Don't let them eat your candy bar. You don't want to risk it. 

 

Katy Starr (13:16): 

When I heard about that, I was kind of shocked. It's amazing, but yeah, that is definitely a good thing for people to pay attention to. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (13:23): 

Right. People have gotten caught unaware of that, and it's kind of a sad situation. So, just stick to the kind of the single ingredient type things, stick to horse treats and stick to your homemade treats, and then you'll be safe.  

 

Katy Starr (13:42): 

Yes, absolutely. So, another thing that you had talked about wanting to avoid a little bit was, we all love decorating during the holiday season. I know some people love putting up Christmas swags, on their barn or across their stalls and things like that. So, talk to us a little bit about that also. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (14:00): 

Right. Decorations are technically not treats, but they are things that horses might eat, even though you don't want them to. And I really wanted to mention, especially around the holiday season, there are some things that are actually quite toxic for horses. You think about Christmas, a lot of people think about mistletoe. Mistletoe is toxic for horses. So, no mistletoe near the barn ever. Same thing for holly. It's actually the berries can be very toxic for horses. Anything with holly, anything with mistletoe. Yew is another kind of, evergreen type swag. You'll see that a lot in swag decoration, so yew is very toxic to horses. And then you think about something that's non-edible, but I think horses would still try to eat it, would be tinsel. I mean, it looks like little grass, little silver grass.  

 

Katy Starr (14:48): 

Especially if you have green tinsel.  

 

Dr. Vineyard (14:50): 

Right. Avoid the tinsel anywhere near the barn. I mean, I know it's fun to decorate, but all it takes is a horse sneaking around and grabbing it and chomping down and swallowing it, and then you've got an issue. And then cornstalk decor, that's more kind of like fall and Halloween and Thanksgiving. Cornstalks, horses will go after, but they can mold. And corn has a, when it molds, it produces aflatoxins, which is very toxic to horses too. So, I would just stay away from the cornstalk decor just to be safe too. And really to me, these types of things actually pose a bigger risk than feeding them one of your grandma's cookies, that has some chocolate in it. I mean, they're not going to fall over dead from that, but they might if they eat enough yew, or mistletoe. 

 

Katy Starr (15:46): 

Right. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (15:46): 

Be careful. Yeah. 

 

Katy Starr (15:48): 

Dr. Vineyard , thank you so much. This was such a fun episode to record, and I think also a little bit different and gives us some really good insight into some safe things and some not so safe things to be thinking about for our horses over the holiday season. 

 

Dr. Vineyard (16:02): 

Well yeah, thank you. This was fun, and happy holidays. 

 

Katy Starr (16:06): 

Today, we covered four safe treats to give to your horse this holiday season, and ones we certainly want to avoid. Here are some key takeaways from Dr. Vineyard. Your horse can enjoy the pumpkin, including seeds, but feed in moderation like any treat, and skip anything that's moldy, wax-covered, or with a stem attached. And despite what the internet may say, pumpkin seeds aren't a proven dewormer for horses. Peppermints are a fun holiday treat and an easy one to keep in your pocket, but they're pure sugar, so moderation is key. And always unwrap them out of your horse's reach, so they don't accidentally consume the wrapper. Homemade horse cookies are a festive way to get creative with horse-safe ingredients, such as oats, carrots, apples, and pumpkin. To keep the treats lower in sugar, skip the molasses and stick with plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. For those times you want a convenient treat that's specifically made for horses, Standlee Nutribrakes are an easy and safe option, plus the apple and pumpkin flavors are fitting for the holiday season. They're a fiber-forward treat with alfalfa meal as the first ingredient, making them a great stocking stuffer or gift for your best barn friend. The holidays bring plenty of tempting treats, but cookies, chocolate, and xylitol sweetened candies are ones to keep away from horses. And don't forget about the seasonal decorations. Holly, mistletoe, yew, tinsel, and cornstalks can pose a much bigger seasonal risk if horses get into them. To learn more about feeding horses' treats, we've linked some additional resources in our show notes, and we'd love to hear your feedback on our Feeding Fumbles and Fixes series or ideas for future episodes. Reach out to us anytime at podcast@standlee.com. Thanks for listening to the Beyond the Barn podcast by Standlee Forage. We'd love for you to share our podcast with your favorite people and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite listening platform. Until next time, keep your cinch tight and don't forget to turn off the water.