While feeding your horse treats can be something fun that both of you enjoy, there are a few things to know about it first. Here are some tips on giving your horse treats:

The food
Before you get in a consistent treat-giving mood, figure out what your horse likes to eat first. A few things that are acceptable for treats include apple pieces, raisins, carrots, sunflower seeds and peppermints. Some horses’ tastes will differ in that some will like the fruit or vegetables while some will prefer the sweeter taste of peppermints. Make sure that whatever you give is in manageable pieces so the horse doesn’t choke on it.

Treats to avoid
Whilst treats can be good for your horse, there is also treats that should be avoided. Things such as acorns, potatoes, tomatoes and chocolate can be harmful to your horse. Chocolate has even been known to cause positive drug tests.

How to feed treats
While you may be inclined to feed the horse straight out of your hand, you could be causing a bad habit to get reinforced. Even if you don’t have treats, you could find your horse nipping at your hands to try and find some anyhow. To avoid some teeth marks, put the treats in your horse’s feeder or a bucket.