Please ask before giving treats to horses. Some of the horses have
medical conditions that prohibit them from having treats, fruit, grains, or certain vegetables.
Treats are to be given to a horse when and only when he is ready to be returned to the field.
Please do so when he is by himself and not in close proximity ot other horses. Do not go out into the fields with a
handful, armful, or bucketful of treats, thinking the horses on the other side of the field won't notice. Before you
realize it, you will be in the midst of a number of horses in stiff competition for treats!
Horses love to eat, and given the opportunity, will eat themselves sick.
If you feed the horses treats, please limit one treat per horse (example, one apple or one banana per horse).
Please slice large fruit, such as apples and oranges. Slices should be 1/2 inch or smaller.
Clean knives and return to drawer when finished.
Do not ever feed a horse food that is slimy or moldy! Mold is toxic to horses. If you find
moldy food, throw it in a receptacle not accessible to horses. If there is a large amount of spoiled food to be disposed
of, plase bury it in the large manure pile. It is best to wash fruit, which has been in close proximity to a moldy item,
as mold spores spread quickly.
If you or the horse drops the treat or a piece of it on the ground, pick it up and rinse it off or
throw it away. Horses can develop colic from sand which adheres to the food.
Please use only treats located in the refrigerator. Sometimes boxes of food are stored nearby, but
these have not been inspected, and may contain items harmful to horses. Be sure to remove all stickers from fruit.
Do not feed the horse banana peels or the tops (greenery) from carrots.
If you are feeding the horses "salad" (large amounts of fruit and vegetables cut up and placed out in the
fields for all the horses to enjoy), please be sure to place it ON HAY. Do not place the food on dirt or manure, as
it can become contaminated, causing the horse to colic.
Hold the treat out to the horse in the palm of your hand. Make sure your fingers are totally extended,
as far as you possibly can. Curled fingers can easily find their way into a horse's mouth, and when he chews, it hurts!
Under no circumstances are the horses to be fed sugar cubes, peppermints, or any similar treats. These
are not "average" horses; many have digestive problems or ailments which can be aggravated by the ingestion of these
items.
