Everyone deserves a little treat every now and then, including your horses! © Hygain
By Ellie Jolley/Equestrian Life
When they turn their enormous brown eyes on you and twitch their whiskery lips, just begging for a tasty treat, how can you say no?
Whether you own a shaggy shetland or a giant warmblood, you know that almost every horse loves their treats.
As well as being a tasty surprise, treats can act as an important part of the way you communicate with your horse.
Just like when we train dogs, treats can also be used to teach new tricks and skills to horses. If you have a horse that doesn’t like being taken from a paddock, treats can be a massive help in getting a hold of them and teaching them to start plodding over as soon as they see you.
They can also be used to help strengthen trust between a horse and owner and reward them for giving us their attention in lots of situations.
There are the traditional forms of horse treats – carrots, apples, licorice, and even the age-old ‘sugar lump’.
But more recently, manufactured treats have grown in production and increased in popularity with the convenience of having a bagful of ready-made, top-notch treats.
Even the big equine feed company, Hygain, has brought out their own horse treat called ‘SMOOCHIES®’.
SMOOCHIES® are a crunchy heart-shaped horse treat biscuit, baked to perfection and made from the freshest wholesome Aussie produce.
Horses and ponies Australia-wide find the Fenugreek flavour utterly irresistible – which can certainly be attested to by the way my thoroughbred tried to eat the whole bag on me!
SMOOCHIES® are a great reward for good behaviour, as well as a welcome treat to brighten your best friend’s day.
But what if you have more than one horse and a bag doesn’t last you the week?
Hygain is now producing a mega 4kg tub of SMOOCHIES® – that’s enough to treat a whole herd of high achievers!
Best of all, SMOOCHIES® have no added sugar, so they’re the treat your horse dentist prefers.
You can find SMOOCHIES® in their standard resealable 250gm pouch or NEW 4kg bucket at your local feed or equestrian store.
(Fenugreek should not be fed to pregnant mares as animal studies have shown that it may cause uterine stimulation.)
This article was written in conjunction with Hygain.
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