Quick and Easy Summer Horse Treat Recipes

When the summer heat comes out swinging, it’s time to fight back. Not only are the high temperatures uncomfortable, stifling, and sticky, but the heat can pose serious health risks to your horse. That is why it is essential to make sure your horse is properly hydrated and cool during the hottest time of the year. A fun way to help refresh your horse on a hot summer day is to reward them with some tasty summer horse treats. Join us for a few quick and easy summer horse treat recipes to try this summer.

Horse Popsicle Ice Treats

Horse popsicles are a simple and fun way to make your horse a refreshing summer treat. There are several ways that you can make popsicles for your horse. You can make popsicles using ice cube trays for hand treats, or you can use larger molds such as Bundt pans, buckets, and cups for more of a frozen lick-style treat. The best thing about these DIY summer horse treat recipes is that they are easy and fully customizable for your horse. Just pick their favorite veggies or fruits and a mixing agent such as water, diluted apple juice, or electrolytes, and you can make a special treat just for them.

Important Note: If your horse suffers from sugar or insulin resistance, please consider substituting ingredients with high levels of sugar with healthier, low sugar alternatives.

Horse Popsicle Hand Treats Recipe

• Any fruits or vegetables safe for horses
• Cutting Board (optional)
• Knife
• Water
• Ice Cube Tray

1. Thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables and cut them into small pieces. Since you are using an ice cube tray, the smaller you can cut the fruits and veggies, the better. Quick Tip: In a hurry? Skip the cutting board and pop a grape into each ice cube tray slot.
2. Add the fruits and vegetables to the ice cube tray.
3. Fill the tray with water, diluted apple juice, or whatever mixing agent you prefer. Quick Tip: Trying to pack in extra electrolytes? Substitute the water for a horse electrolyte supplement, such as Apple-A-Day.
4. Freeze the ice cube tray overnight. The next day, empty the tray and feed to your horse.

Horse Popsicle Ice Lick Treat Recipe

• Any fruits or vegetables safe for horses
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Water
• Bucket, Bundt pan, or other mold

1. Thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables and use the cutting board and knife to cut them into medium-sized pieces.
2. Add the fruits and vegetables to the Bundt pan, bucket, or other mold. Quick Tip: To prevent the fruits or vegetables from rising to the top of the frozen treat mold, you can add them in layers, alternating with ice to keep them weighed down, so they do not rise to the top.
3. Fill the Bundt pan, bucket, or mold with water, apple juice, or electrolyte of your choosing.
4. Freeze overnight and serve to your horse the next day. Quick Tip: If you’d like to hang the frozen lick treat, place twine or rope on each side of the inside of the bucket or mold before you freeze it. However, if you have a Bundt pan mold and would like to hang the treat, you can loop the twine or rope through the hole afterward.

Apple Bobbing

Topping the list as the easiest summer horse treat recipe to help keep your horse refreshed is apple bobbing. Not only is it a great boredom buster, but it’s a great summer treat option for horses who are not interested in frozen or ice treats.

You Will Need:

• Apples
• Knife (optional)
• Cutting Board (optional)
• Water
• Water Trough or Bucket
• Pitcher (optional)

1. Thoroughly wash apples.
2. Cut apples into halves, quarters, or leave whole. Quick Tip: You can also mix it up by halving and quartering some of the apples and keeping the rest whole.
3. Fill water trough or bucket with water. Quick Tip: If you are using a water hose, and the water is coming out warm because of the heat, you can always place a pitcher(s) of water in the refrigerator or freezer beforehand to make the water cooler.
4. Throw or place the apples into the water trough or bucket and watch your horse have fun! Remember to always keep a separate water trough or bucket with fresh, clean water for your horse too.

We hope this list of quick and easy summer horse treat recipes provided a few additional extra ways to help your horse beat the heat this summer. Do you have a go-to hot weather horse treat that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

For more tips on caring for your horse during the warmer months, check out Jeffers’ blog FAQ About Hot Weather Horse Care. Searching for cooling supplies for your horse? Check out Jeffers' selection of barn and stable cooling supplies.