Homemade horse cookies your horses will love you for!

You'll never buy horse treats from the store again!

I don't know about you but my horses are suckers for treats. They especially love little cookies that I slip them anytime I go out to check on them. While each of my horses definitely has different taste in what they like for treats (I have a peppermint lover, apple lover and even dill pickle flavoured sunflower seeds lover) they seem to universally like carrots and oats. Which is what makes these soft cookies a huge hit with them.

The best part about making these cookies at home is that you know that they don't have any junky preservatives, any fillers or hidden ingredients that aren't healthy for your horses. And while these treats are super healthy because of the molasses in them they definitely do have some good ingredients and they are probably ingredients that you already have in your home! Making these cookies at home is fast and easy and will save you some cash from having to buy those expensive horse cookies from the store.

Soft Horse Cookie Recipe

3-4 medium carrots

2.5 cups quick oats

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup loose horse mineral (I use Hoffmans Horse mineral)

Combine all ingredients in the order of the list, in a large bowl and stir until well combined.

The mixture should be sticky but somewhat crumbly still. If you find its too sticky, add a little bit more rolled oats and conversely if you find its a bit too dry you can add a little bit more honey. See how the mixture forms before adding any more proportions of ingredients, you might be surprised with how it holds together once you start working it and squishing it. Roll into small balls, flatten the tops slightly and place on parchment paper.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 mins. Flip over once in the middle of the bake to get both the top and bottom crisp. Makes about 35-40 cookies depending on the size you make them.

Tips:

I find using slightly older carrots works well for this recipe, (you know the ones that have been in your fridge for a little bit and you were considering feeding to the horses anyways) fresh carrots can be really juicy. Grate your carrots into the bowl first and if you find their very wet squeeze them out and discard the juice. This will help ensure your mixture forms into good balls.

Measure out your vegetable oil first and add it to the bowl and then you can use the same measuring cup for the molasses it will slide out of your measuring cup with ease instead of being super sticky.

Storage:

Store these cookies in an airtight container and leave in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you and your horse think of them in the comments below! And make sure to save or pin this recipe for later and to share with all your other horsey friends!

~Rachel