b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRYthe magazine TREATSMike BarnaPublisher Y ou are not alone if you love to give youryour horse as a ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com horse special treats. Its a great question if youtreat not a meal should or shouldnt feed them considering(and certainly not how many foods and ingredients people are ablea wheelbarrow Erika Smith Royal to safely ingest that can be harmful or even fatalfull), there should Editor to pets like cats, dogs, and rabbits. Fortunately, asbe no issues.fragile as their digestive tracts are, it doesnt seem erika963realcountry@gmail.com like horses are all that sensitive to things that weAs you may already know there are treats with normally eat. When "people food does appear onsugary foods on them that have been in high Misty Voitovski a list of substances toxic to horses, it generally takesdemand lately. These treats have things on them Creative Director pounds and pounds to have an effect, which is notlike cereal, jelly beans, and sprinkles. There is a typically the amount you would feed as a treat. full range of horse treats on the market, from ones clearly designed to appeal to human caretakers Contributing Writers One group that can be concerning if fed in largewith smores, pop tarts, and "cake in the name, to Lee AndersonBob Boze Bell amounts are plants that are high in oxalates, suchones with no added sugar plus no ingredients on as rhubarb leaves, beet greens, spinach, Swissthe naughty list such as molasses, dextrose, corn Deborah BlankenshipBridgette Crosbychard, and endive. The seeds and pits of fruits likesyrup, etc. It seems like sugar is both the main Pete FloresGail Graycherries, apricots, peaches, and apples also have aattraction as well as the main offender in treats, and Emily HigueraJustin Leglertoxic agent, but hardly anyone feeds these wholethats where the qualifying statement "it all depends to their horses, and even if they did so, it wouldon the horse comes in.Betsy LemaireNaomi Loomis take much more than one to have an effect. Plants Linda LudingtonRandy Millerin the nightshade family like tomato plants andFor horses with no health concerns surrounding potatoes are also on the "do not feed to horses list.sugar and starches, treats that contain these Jim & Bobbi Jeen OlsonMembers of the allium family, including garlic,ingredients, as long as theyre given in moderation, Liz PotofBill Roberts onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, and chives, containshouldnt be a problem. But for horses suffering the chemical N-propyl disulfide which can destroyfrom insulin dysregulation (insulin resistance Alan RockmanJohn Samsill red blood cells and result in anemia. While garlicand hyperinsulinemia) associated with Equine is a popular equine supplement, moderation is theMetabolic Syndrome, Cushings Disease, or both, 801 W. Wickenburg Way key. Coffee, tea, and cola contain caffeine (trimethyland for horses dealing with muscle disorders such xanthine) which can cause an irregular heartas classic tying up (exertional rhabdomyolysis), Wickenburg, AZ 85390 rhythm. The theobromine in chocolate can causePolysaccharide Storage Myopathy or PSSM, and severe colic, seizures, metabolic derangements, andEquine Myofibrillar Myopathy, then it might be (602) 254-6644 internal bleeding in horses, dogs, and cats. Dogbetter to search for treats that are lower in sugar and cat kibble containing grain products may beor percent non-structural carbohydrates. There ArizonaRealCountry.com tempting to horses and seem harmless enough, butare more and more treats on the market with they also contain meat by-products and as such arethese types of horses in mind, so it shouldnt be not suitable for equine consumption. Cruciferoustoo difficult to find a brand or two that your horse plants like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, andenjoys and that arent unhealthy for him. others do not technically contain a toxic agent but their tendency to lead to excess gas production inAs far as treats actually being healthy, a couple of the GI tract worries some people. manufacturers have strayed into the "functional Follow Arizona Realtreat realm and sell a wafer or cookie with Of course, there are plenty of trees, bushes, weeds,ingredients to support joint, hoof, or skin & coat Country for news, events,and other plants that are toxic to horses (likehealth. And you can always look outside the treat Japanese yew, a common ornamental shrub).category to find healthy treats, such as hay cubes. giveaways and more! However, among the fruits and vegetables foundMade with alfalfa hay, a mixture of grass and alfalfa in your local grocery store, as long as you usehay, or grass hay alone, they are great to carry in Arizona Real Country is owned andcommon sense and enjoy a fruit or vegetable withyour pocket when your horse needs a reward for published by Barna Broadcastinggood behavior or performance. LLC. No person, organization or partyJust like a full-size bale of hay, can copy or reproduce the contentcubes of hay flake nicely into bite-on our website and/or magazine orsize, ready-to-eat pieces.any part of this publication withoutEarlier I used the word a written consent from the editors"moderation. Many people like panel and the author of the content, asto give their horses sugar cubes, applicable. The publisher, authors andpeppermint candy, or fruits and contributors reserve their rights withvegetables like carrots, bananas, regards to copyright of their work. watermelon, raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, continued on page 6ArizonaRealCountry.com July 2023 5'