Last Friday I found myself off work and making horse treats. Let me just back up a pinch and tell you all how I never really thought I’d ever make horse treats. I rarely make Elphi (my little Boston Terrier) homemade treats. But that is where I was … in my kitchen on a Friday morning making equine nibblets. My roommate was off on an adventure to some show in Louisville; I hear it’s a big deal.

(Relax, guys, I actually know what Louisville is. I DO live with a Saddlebred person.) Anyway, the recipe I came up with got the seal of approval from my four legged friends, so, here you have it, folks.

The Magical Horse Catching Tots (yes, there IS a story that goes with this, thanks for asking):
    •            1 Cup of Oats (I used quick oats)
    •            1 Cup of Flour (I’m a foodie so I used whole wheat)
    •            ½ Cup of Apple Sauce
    •            4 Tsp. Vegetable Oil
    •            1 Cup Shredded Carrot (You might have to cut them smaller, as they can be quite long)
    •            Drizzle of Honey
    •            1 Tsp. Salt
    •            1 Tsp. Sugar
Roll them into little balls (from a glance they really look like tater tots…), bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes and presto, horse treats!

Okay, so now here’s the story. I got this wild notion to bake some treats at home for Apple because we have gone through our fair share of them with her. I’m not saying they were bad, most of them were quite lovely. They just didn’t motivate our little Apple Sauce to any extent. There was also a little problem with tiny pests getting into her treat tin. So foodie Ashlea got an idea, “Hey, self, you bake! Muster up some goodies!” Upon completion I darted off excitedly to the barn to test my creations, much to Apple’s surprise. (It was my first time visiting her solo.) I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to work on a little problem we have been having. You see, she has been doing her dandiest to avoid being caught in her stall (or really anywhere else). But I grabbed a treat from my bowl and walked right up to her, and it was pretty much instant horsie catnip. I think I might have heard Handel’s Messiah off in the distance, complete with misty eyes. It was a proud moment.Disclaimer: I can’t guarantee these will work on any horse, but golly they worked on Miss Apple. Go out and try it today!