When people think of horse treats, they tend to jump straight to carrots or apples. While carrots and apples do make great horse treats, there are more nutritious foods to feed your equine friend, and one of them is almonds. 

Almonds are an extremely nutritious snack for both humans and horses alike. They provide supplemental vitamin E, critical monounsaturated fats, biotin, and minerals, including copper and manganese, which are all needed to maintain and improve hoof health. 

The Benefits Of Feeding Your Horse Almonds

Aside from providing essential nutrients for hoof health, almonds also offer a number of other benefits for horses, including: 

• Better Digestion

Almonds contain a lot of dietary fiber and help boost your horse’s intestinal microbiome for better digestion. 

• Reducing Inflammation 

Almonds contain various anti-inflammatory compounds, which can help accelerate tissue repair and reduce inflammatory markers. 

• Improving Immunity 

Almonds contain a balance of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that work together to support immune function. 

Feeding Your Horse Almonds 

When feeding your horse almonds, it’s vital to reduce any choking risk by chopping or grinding the almonds first. Flaked or sliced almonds are perfect for feeding by hand, while ground almonds can be easily mixed into feed or homemade horse treats. When choosing your ground almonds, try to find a raw almond flour or almond meal without sulfur dioxide and one which has been produced from almonds with their skin still on because the skin of almonds contains beneficial bioflavonoids. 

Homemade Healthy Horse Treat Recipe 

If you’re interested in seeing if your horse likes almonds, then here’s a simple and easy horse treat recipe packed with healthy ingredients such as flaxseed, ground almonds, and cinnamon. 

To make these horse treat muffins, you will need:

• ¼ cup of ground flaxseed (whole flax seeds can be ground in a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar)
• 2 cups of oatmeal 
• 2 cups of almond flour 
• ¼ cup of warm water 
• ½ a cup of brown sugar 
• ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon 
• 1 cup of blueberries 

1. Start by preheating your oven to 375°f (190C)
2. Next, combine the flaxseed and warm water in a bowl and allow to sit for approximately ten minutes. During this time, the flaxseed will become gelatinous and will resemble an egg!
3. Next, beat your flax mixture in a bowl with your sugar.
4. Stir in the almond flour and oatmeal and season with your cinnamon.
5. If your mixture is too dry, then try adding a little more water.
6. Lastly, add in your blueberries and give everything one final mix.
7. Portion the muffin mixture into muffin cases or a greased silicone muffin pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and cooked through.