We have new neighbors who love horses and would like to feed Marley & me some treats.Now that's what I call being neighborly!
However, My Lady insists that we avoid sugary snacks, so she is on the hunt for a healthy, low sugar treat that she can suggest to the neighbors.
As you know, I LOFF CARROTS! I hate apples. (Marley likes them, but you can't judge a treat by Marley because he'd eat a hamburger if it was dropped in his feed bucket. ) My Lady thinks carrots and apples have too much sugar to be a frequent treat anyway, so no carrots or apples.
And so the experimentation begins. Guess what nasty thing she gave us?
Celery!
I sniffed it cautiously. Then I took a little bite. Strange stuff. I spit it out, walked away and stuck my upper lip in the air. Ewww.
Marley of course, gobbled up his share and then finished mine. He was a little surprised at the texture and bobbed his head up and down real funny-like while he chewed. But now he acts like he was born to eat celery.
We got celery the next day too. This time My Lady had Marley show me how to eat it. She let Marley chomp at one end of the stalk while I sniffed and nibbled ever so slightly at the other end, a la Lady and the Tramp. I ate a tiny bit more, but let Marley have the lion's share, so we never did meet in the middle for a smooch. I'm not sure I can acquire a taste for celery, but I think I'm gonna get another opportunity tonight.
What other low sugar, healthy treats might we try?
try brocolli stalks...and my mare LOVES mandarin oranges and pineapple
ReplyDeletetry pizza. or corn cobs. i don't know if it's good for horses, but I've know some who like those things!
ReplyDeleteThe Equestrian Vagabond
My big Percheron geldings loved green beans, the ones that grew too big for us to want to eat.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, my horses like dried pasta. Rigatoni noodles are a good size to put in your pockets. That shouldn't be high in sugar and it's cheap. Plus it doesn't spoil in a week!!! I know that seems like a weird suggestion, I just laughed when I first heard it, but my horses gobbled it right down and begged for more.
ReplyDeleteKathleen
Sounds like the new neighbors are going to be favorite friends shortly.
ReplyDeleteWe usually stick to carrots and apples, so I have not ideas for low calorie snacks.
Delicious ideas. If only there was a phone in the barn. Then I could order my own pizza just like Mr. Ed. Instead, I will send My Lady to the grocery store with a list and I'll let you know how are taste test goes.
ReplyDeleteHow do they like grapes? John loves grapes and when he rolls them around in his mouth, there is an entertainment factor also.
ReplyDeleteCarrots and apples may be "sugary" but they are found in nature in that form. I had a friend who was afraid to feed her horse apples and carrots and she searched far and wide for treats. She ended up with many treats with zero sugar, but they were processed. Even when I bake my own treats they have grain in them, which isn't naturally happening like that in the wild. Pasta? Ditto - bad for us and them! When you stick to the whole foods you can cut the "treat" into tiny morsels and it seems like the horse is getting a ton when it is only one carrot! That is what Brian, Maizie, and I do to manage our weight too! It works!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a variety of treats - who knew?!
ReplyDeleteWe don't regularly treat, but when occasionally given it's carrots/apples/horse treats at our place.
Looking forward to reading about Misty & Marley's taste testing!
Lol, "you can't judge a treat by Marley" LOVED that!
ReplyDeleteI like juliette's suggestion to give small pieces of real food. Most of the other suggestions are sugary anyway.
Oh, your description of the horses are just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe stick to carrots and apples here. As it is fruit sugar I have never heard it is bad for the horses? Carrots are recommended here to be beneficial to the gut, thus avoiding colic problems. Boosts up the vitamins during the winter season too.
My horse, Cruiser, is insulin resistant, so he is on a low carb diet.
ReplyDeleteI do give him a couple pieces of sugar free candy each day.
Green beans were a great success, particularly since my garden grew them in abundance. They are safe in small amounts.