b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY TREATSthe magazineMike BarnaPublisher Y ou are not alone in loving to give your ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com horse special treats but it can be a little tricky considering how many foods and ingredients people are able to safely ingest that can Erika Smith Royal be harmful or even fatal to pets like cats and dogs. Editor Fortunately, as fragile as their digestive tracts are, erika963realcountry@gmail.com it doesnt seem like horses are all that sensitive to things that we normally eat. When "people food does appear on a list of substances toxic to horses, Misty Voitovski it generally takes pounds and pounds to have an effect, which is not typically the amount you Creative Director would feed as a treat.Contributing Writers One group that can be concerning if fed in large amounts is plants that are high in oxalates, such as Lee AndersonBob Boze Bell rhubarb leaves, beet greens, spinach, Swiss chard, Deb BlankenshipJustin Legler and endive. Seeds and pits of fruits like cherries, apricots, peaches, and apples also have a toxic Betsy LemaireDakota Livesay agent, but hardly anyone feeds these whole to their horses and even if they did so, it would take muchsearch for treats that are lower in sugar or percent Maricopa County 4H Staff more than one to have an effect. Technically plantsnon-structural carbohydrates.Randy MillerJim & Bobbi Jeen Olson in the nightshade family like tomato plants and potatoes are also on the "do not feed to horsesThere are more and more treats on the market Bill RobertsAlan Rockman list but theres little harm in small amounts, andwith these types of horses in mind, so it shouldnt Bob RoloffJohn Samsill its the tomato plant that has the potential forbe too difficult to find a brand or two that your Michele Wilson toxicity, not the ripe tomato. Cruciferous plantshorse enjoys and that arent unhealthy for him. like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and othersAs far as treats actually being healthy, a couple of do not technically contain a toxic agent but theirmanufacturers have strayed into the "functional 801 W. Wickenburg Way tendency to lead to excess gas production in thetreat realm and sell a wafer or cookie with GI tract worries some people. ingredients to support joint, hoof, or skin & coat Wickenburg, AZ 85390 health. And you can always look outside the treat Of course, there are plenty of trees, bushes,category to find healthy treats, such as hay cubes.(602) 254-6644 weeds, and other plants that are toxic to horses like Japanese yew, a common ornamental shrub.Many people like to give their horse sugar cubes, ArizonaRealCountry.com However, among the fruits and vegetables foundpeppermint candy, or fruits and vegetables like in your local grocery store, as long as you useapples, carrots, bananas, watermelon, and even common sense and enjoy fruit or vegetables withprunes. While many of these common horse treats your horse as a treat, not a meal (and certainly notare fairly high in sugar, as long as you dont give a wheelbarrow full), there should be no issues. an entire BAG of candy or sugary ripe fruits or vegetables, your horse will probably be fine. But if There is a full range of horse treats on theyou want to be on the safe side, there are more low Follow Arizona Realmarket, from ones clearly designed to appeal tosugar/starch treats coming on to the market every the human caretakers with smores, pop tarts, andday so you can give your horse a tasty snack and Country for news, events,"cake in the name, to ones with no added sugarstill keep your conscience clean.plus no ingredients on the naughty list such as giveaways and more! molasses, dextrose, corn syrup, etc. It seems likeHeres a simple recipe to try:sugar is both the main attraction as well as theThese delicious crunchy cookies Arizona Real Country is owned andmain offender in many treats, and thats wherecan be fed as a reward or just the common qualifying statement "it all dependsbecause. Make a bunch because published by Barna Broadcastingon the horse comes in. For horses with no healththey go fast. They are super LLC. No person, organization or partyconcerns surrounding sugar and starches, treatshealthy and dont contain refined can copy or reproduce the contentthat contain these ingredients, as long as theyresugars or cereal grains. If you on our website and/or magazine orgiven in moderation, shouldnt be a problem. Butdont want to use canned pumpkin, you can make any part of this publication withoutfor horses suffering from insulin dysregulationyour own puree from plain baked pumpkin in a a written consent from the editors(insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia)food processor. If you are buying canned, make panel and the author of the content, asassociated with Equine Metabolic Syndrome,sure its just pumpkin, with no sugar or spices.applicable. The publisher, authors andCushings Disease, or both, and for horses dealing contributors reserve their rights withwith muscle disorders such as classic tying upIngredients:regards to copyright of their work. (exertional rhabdomyolysis), Polysaccharide 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)Storage Myopathy or PSSM, and Equine 1 cup alfalfa pelletsMyofibrillar Myopathy, then it might be better tocup flax meal continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com May 2022 5'