# ok so my horses like candy.... is it safe for them to eat it



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Like any other treat, just don't overdo it and they'll be fine.


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## BreannaMarie (Dec 9, 2012)

Ok cus my mom was getting annoyed that every time i had candy i will share it with them lol i dont do it very often though only if its something that ik they like


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I have a horse who likes oranges. The vet said they were fine to give to him, but not more than once every month or so. It has something to do with the acidity of citrus fruit.

The stuff you're giving them is pretty much just pure sugar with some added flavorings.


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## Casey02 (Sep 20, 2011)

My horse will eat everything, but don't do it all the time, a little tiny bit wont kill them


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Every now and then I break out the hard candies. My one stallion is partial to green apple, but the mares tend toward peach, strawberry, and watermelon. 
Peppermints are another favourite.


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## QH Lover (Aug 10, 2011)

Like everyone else said, I'd just feed them in very minimal amounts...I went to camp at a barn that fed their horses Coke and M&Ms


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## Country Woman (Dec 14, 2011)

my cousins ponies ate cotton candy, peppermints, hotdogs, etc


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

My lesson horse gets a couple daily probably! A little won't hurt as others have said. My worry is a horse getting spoiled (which my lease already has a problem with from prior riders) so I don't feed candy from my hand most of the time. I put a few peppermints in her feed bin here and there.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Not so sure I would give a horse something like Starburst, they are small and require chewing. Everything else I would be ok with in small doses as they can chew it.


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## WesternRider88 (Oct 30, 2012)

I don't give them any candy because it has a lot of sugar in it but a little bit won't hurt them. Mine love carrots, but I give them an apple once in a while because they love them. My neighbor gives her horses peppermints all the time and her horses are fine.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I didn't think a horse would eat a hotdog!!! I thought they were strictly vegetarian. My horse loves peppermints, but I fed him a jolly rancher and he shook his head and spit it out. I gave him a piece of a granola bar once and he spit that out with force right at my chest!! It was hilarious!


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

^I had one that ate hot dogs as well. It was accidental at first, she snagged mine at a show and then after that I would share with her if we won a class. Hot dog, oreos & a Mt. Dew. I was a kid and that mare was spoiled, wouldn't do that now lol. 

I generally don't give treats, the occasional pear off the trees when they are ripe or an alfalfa cube here and there. I do have one exception, my Hano mare came to me a bit pampered so we've maintained her diva-esque level of spoilage. She loves peppermints and my lesson kids loves giving them to her. Fortunately, I found that I can get sugar free peppermints in a giant sized bag at Sam's club. I don't feel as guilty letting her have them that way.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

My heart horse had never been given treats as a youngster, so when I got him it was fun figuring out what he would or wouldn't eat. 

His first treat remained his favorite his whole life; carrots. He enjoyed apples, oatmeal cookies, and the occasional commercially sold horse treat, but carrots always remained his true love. He hated mints of any kind, and if you tried to give him a peppermint, he'd spit it out and give you the evil eye!


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

I would be careful with the sugar-free stuff - a lot of times the fake sweeteners they use are worse than the real stuff. An occasional sugary treat isn't going to hurt them. Peppermint and butterscotch disks are a favorite around here.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I agree^^ that I would be more concerned about the chemical sweeteners. A horses size compared to the size of a small candy is nominal. Is sugar really that bad for them? Molasses is basically cane sugar and that is what is in sweet feed.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

The ones I got are organic with no artificial anything in them, I think they are kind of gross to be honest but Missy likes them. I'll have to look when I go out to the barn for the brand, I think it starts with an M? :think:


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Aires loves tropical Skittles...but only if you crush them a little first and only if my boyfriend gives them to him. Other than that, he likes carrots and apple-oat treats. My old BO, who I bought him from, is VERY anti-treats, so Aires hadn't ever had treats until he was 2.5.

My old gelding LIVED for Star Mint peppermints. He wouldn't eat any other brand but Star Mint.

My friend's Arab gelding (her endurance horse) loves Wheat Thins. My other friend's Arab gelding WILL NOT eat apples. He acts like you're trying to poison him. 

As long as you aren't feeding it all the time, they'll be fine.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BreannaMarie (Dec 9, 2012)

My quarter pony used to eat hot dogs lol


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

my horses love peppermints and sometimes Jolley Ranchers. Maybe once a day is fine - but I wouldn't go more than that, just in case


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

I agree with everyone else. My horse likes white hot chocolate from Tim Horton's.


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

i had a horse that liked mini MnMs, (only mini not the normal ones) and pop, and other candy but mini MnMs were his favorite. and at shows my horses eat almost everything i eat. Chips (got moms horse drinking at a show) watermellon, apples, bars. they get little amounts and its only a few times every month but not in the winter.


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

I am sooo the minority here! I had never known anyone to give their horses candy, and don't eat much of it myself - my mares get carrots, (in abundance and always in my pocket) apples, (every p.m. & warmed in winter) and Dumor (you guessed it) "Apple and Carrot Horse Treats" usually for giving while doing groundwork - And I've been thinking my horses were spoiled!


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## Horsequeen08 (Jun 24, 2007)

I owned a horse since the day he was born. All I ever gave him was apples and carrots and grain. The barn I had him at closed down and i had to move him to a friend's private property. I was out working with him when she pulled up and started unloading her car from Costco. She had bought one of those hugeee tubs of licorice. He saw it, his ears perked up and he started walking over to her. She looked just as confused as me. I asked her if she had ever given him licorice before and she was like, "No, I don't give my horses anything but carrots and apples". He kept poking his nose at the bucket, so finally we opened it and gave him a piece and he LOVED it. I have no idea how he knew what it was (the previous barn he roamed on 100+ arcres so no one but me ever fed him anything). But some how he knew it would be delicious! I still laugh when I think about that day!


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

My horse is the pickiest I've ever met. I tried giving her apples. Nope. Carrots. Nope. Horse treats. Nope. But give her PUMPKIN, and she's yours.


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## Horsequeen08 (Jun 24, 2007)

Wow I didn't know horses could eat pumpkin. I've heard of giving them watermelon rinds, grapes (I know alot of horses who love grapes), strawberries, and that is about it as far as outside the norm. Hmm. I wonder if Dreamer would be pumpkin.


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

I didn't know either, but the vet said it's fine. It just blows me away that she actually prefers it to something sweet.


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

QH Lover said:


> Like everyone else said, I'd just feed them in very minimal amounts...I went to camp at a barn that fed their horses *Coke* and M&Ms


Coke????????? I'm a Pepsi woman myself! :wink:


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I had a mare who loved butterecotch and a pony who wanted PBJ sandwiches and beer. We didn't let her drive after drinking though.

One thing...if you are showing in some breed shows be careful what you feed. Some things show up in urine tests.


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## cebee (Apr 4, 2010)

Mine loves peppermints. And honey nut cheerios. He cant have grain ( hoof issues ) so I will toss in a handful of them with his supplements and he loves em!


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## penylove8 (Feb 2, 2010)

My tb looves sweet things like candy, sweet tea, gatorades, sodas etc...
I swear I walk awy from my drink for two seconds and he grabs it and drinks it, or xif I have the bottle in my swearshirt or behind my arm he will always try to get it ...
He loves jack in the box extreme sasuage too..now dont get me wrong he doesnt ever gets this stuff by chocie and definitely. Not often ..but it has never been harmful to him..
If ur horse doesnt get it all the time it should be fine, whats wrong with a sweet tooth once in a while


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## SunnyMeadeFarm (Sep 3, 2012)

Ha! it is interesting reading everyone's "My horse loves....." stories, I guess I throw in my two cents, I have a gelding who loves anything peppermint, while my mini eats anything and everything. I have fed them Werther's Originals caramel hard candies and they love those. 

But every year we run a week long petting zoo at our local fair and we of course bring my mini and we have a tradition to buy her an apple flavored Hawaiian Ice, she obviously doesn't eat the whole thing but we spoon feed her about half, she loves it since it's usually like over 90 degrees.


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

Like everyone said candy is fine in moderation. "My" grown horses gets a peppermint treat once or twice a week but no more than that. Tequila is still too young to get peppermint so she only gets apples and carrots. Tequila's grandmother also named Tequila loved french fries lol.


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