DIY Daily Supplement Treats

DIY Daily Supplement Treats For Horses

The handy way to give supplements without feed

Getting supplements into horses consistently can be tricky. You might be dealing with a picky eater that has the ability to sort every last speck of supplements from their feed or perhaps you’ve got a horse that needs supplements twice a day but only gets feed once.

Rather than winging it and not getting good results from your supplements because of inconsistent feeding, wouldn’t it be so much easier to just hand them their supplements on the fly and go about the rest of your chores? Yup, that’s why I’ve come up with two DIY daily supplement treat recipes. These recipes can both be modified based on your horse’s needs and the type of supplements that you’re feeding.    

Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.

I’ve included options for creating DIY daily supplement treats using both powdered supplements and pelleted supplements. I’ve also got modifications for horses that are sugar sensitive, so if you’ve got one of those horses that are sweet enough on their own you’ll want to check out version 2 of the supplement treat recipes. 

Both recipes with powdered supplements and pelleted supplements are mixed up in a blender so they can be whipped up super fast without a huge mess. 

Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.

My favorite new hack to making horse treats is using mini muffin tins and ice cube trays as mold to form up a ton of treats fast. By using trays it also makes it easy to make sure you get the treats equal in size so they all have the same dose of supplements per treat. 

Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.

DIY Daily Supplement Treats Version 1

Using powdered supplements

3/4 cup powdered supplements (this equaled 12 one tablespoon doses)
8 dates
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 tablespoon almond butter
2 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax to line the muffin tin or ice cube tray so they don’t stick

Throw all the ingredients into your blender/Ninja/Bullet/food processor (what ever you got handy that will blend up food) except for the chia seeds/ground flax. Blend up the mixture until it is the texture of thick cookie dough. If your mixture has too much moisture/feels sticky you can add ground flax to help bind it together. * Depending upon the type of supplements you are trying to make into treats it may require more or less liquid to get the texture just right. Sprinkle your muffin tin or ice cube tray with chia seeds or ground flax then divide the mixture evenly into each cup. Keeping them as even as possible will ensure your horse gets an equal dose of supplements in each one. Press them firmly so they come out compacted (for this I used a second tray to press down all twelve at once but you can just press them with your fingers too. When you first mold them in the trays they will feel soft, leave them sit in the trays for a few hours to dry out and harden so they are easier to remove and package up to take to the barn. *Note for picky eaters it can be helpful to add a sprinkle of cinnamon to each cup of the tin to make them smell yummy.  

*Recipe has affiliate links for the products that I love and trust to feed to my horses

Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.
Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.

DIY Daily Supplement Treats Version 2

Using pelleted supplements + alternatives for sugar sensitive horses

1.5 cups pelleted supplement (this equaled 24 one tablespoon doses)
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan gum
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons coconut syrup
2 tablespoon almond butter
2 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax to line the muffin tin or ice cube tray so they don’t stick

Throw all the ingredients into your blender/Ninja/Bullet/food processor (what ever you got handy that will blend up food) except for the chia seeds/ground flax. Blend up the mixture until it is the texture of thick cookie dough. If your mixture has too much moisture/feels sticky wait a couple of minutes for the xanthan gum to bind it together before spooning it into the tray. * Depending upon the type of supplements you are trying to make into treats it may require more or less liquid to get the texture just right. Sprinkle your muffin tin or ice cube tray with chia seeds, flour, or ground flax then divide the mixture evenly into each cup. Keeping them as even as possible will ensure your horse gets an equal dose of supplements in each one. Press them firmly so they come out compacted (for this I used a second tray to press down all twelve at once but you can just press them with your fingers too. When you first mold them in the trays they will feel soft, leave them sit in the trays for a few hours to dry out and harden so they are easier to remove and package up to take to the barn. *Note for picky eaters it can be helpful to add a sprinkle of cinnamon to each cup of the tin to make them smell yummy.  

*Recipe has affiliate links for the products that I love and trust to feed to my horses

Special things to note...

These recipes can be adjusted to work with the daily dosage of your horses particular supplements. To accommodate doses other than one or two tablespoons simply match the number of doses to the number of treats you are making. For example if your tray makes twenty spots add twenty scoops of supplement to your blender first then slowly add small amounts of dates, almond butter, molasses, etc till the texture is well blended and thick.

If your horse is on a supplement that is fed in large amounts you are better off to divide the dose into several treats for example you may end up feeding three treats to equal one dose of supplements). Just be sure to keep track of the dosage for each one and you’ll be all set.

There are some supplements that may not work well as a daily treat. If your horse is not keen on eating a supplement, it could be that it’s not a good fit for them and turning it into a treat might not make them want to eat it. 

Supplements that may not work well for these recipes include psyllium supplements, highly perishable/short shelf life supplements, and supplements that dissolve in water. 

Insightfully,

Becky

Getting horses to eat supplements can be tricky especially with picky eaters and easy keepers. This supplement treat recipe works with your current supplements and makes it easy for your horse to get the full dose every day.

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Jennifer December 9, 2023 Reply

    What brands of flax seed, almond butter, dates etc do you use for the powdered supplement recipe? Would like to make sure I’m getting the right stuff for my horses and nothing that could have unnecessary ingredients. TIA 😊

  2. Mary November 8, 2023 Reply

    After making these treats with my powdered supplement, I was doubtful my horse would eat them. Fed one last night and he loves them! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m now at peace that my guy will get his full meds!

  3. Shelby December 26, 2020 Reply

    I love this idea but how long is the shelf life? Id love to make a weeks worth at a time because of my schedule but not sure. Thank you!

    1. InsightfulBR December 26, 2020 Reply

      All of the ingredients are shelf-stable so you should be okay to make a week’s worth at a time as long they are kept in a cool dry place.

  4. LR May 31, 2020 Reply

    Thanks for posting this. I have 6 horses in a pasture far from the barn. They just get a little bit of feed just so I can give them their supplements and it is hard because the aggressive ones will finish and then Chase away and eat the other’s meal. This might be the solution.

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