Hay friends!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!! It’s the time when everyone indulges in sweet yummy cookies. If you didn’t know, I am the designated cookie tester for my pals at the Equine Science Center. I take my job very seriously…it’s my responsibility to rule out which treats taste great and which ones are gross. I’ve tried a couple of homemade recipes this year, and wanted to be sure to share the ones that ALL of my four legged friends can celebrate with this holiday season!

Below are two recipes that do not have any added sugar. That means my pals that are insulin resistant or have equine metabolic syndrome will not be severely affected with a couple of bites. I made sure my human friends researched alternatives, or other ingredients to substitute in case your horse has a sugar sensitivity! These tasty treats are a sure way to win your horse’s heart over this holiday season.  Just make sure before attempting to bake anything that you have an adult present!

 

Take a look at how they turned out when one of my Rutgers friends made a batch of each!

 

Recipe #1: Lord Nelson’s Pumpkin, Spice, and Everything Nice Holiday Treat!

• Ingredients
  • 4 cups whole oats (Beware! Oats have a high glycemic index, meaning they are high in sugar! If your horse is sensitive to sugar, replace this ingredient with crushed or rolled barley!)
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

•  Directions
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Thoroughly mix the pumpkin and water together.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the mixture.
  • Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a greased cookie sheet.
  • Optional: add peppermint toppings to some of the mixtures if your horse can have them! (Pro-tip: If your horse is on a restricted diet, use sugar free peppermints)
  • Bake for 20 minutes.

 

Recipe #2: Hugme Christi’s Relax with Flax Cookie!

• Ingredients
  • 1 lb. bag of  organic ground flaxseed (Horses do not digest whole flaxseed – it must be processed in some way!)
  • ½ cup Unsweetened applesauce (Homemade is best to monitor sugar levels because you can avoid adding extra sugar!)
  • 2 tbsp. cinnamon
  • 2 cups hot water

• Directions
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Combine flaxseed and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl.
  • Add applesauce to the mixture.
  • Add and mix in HOT water.
  • Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a greased cookie sheet.
  • Optional: add peppermint toppings to some of the mixtures if your horse can have them! (Pro-tip: If your horse is on a restricted diet, use sugar free peppermints)
  • Bake for 25 minutes.

Just remember friends, eat everything in moderation! Too much of even a good thing will have side effects. We don’t need any obese horses “rolling” into the New Year because of holiday over-indulgence!

Until next YEAR,

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Nelson