A Horse, Of Course

By: Don Blazer

Why is it, if I say Walter won't do it, Walter does it? If I say Walter will do it, he won't. Pamela Berryhill is a cute, perky little lady who said to me, "Here, Here's a treat for Walter."

I said, "Walter won't eat it. Walter doesn't eat treats. In fact, Walter embarrasses me by not eating treats. I go to book signings and they have large bowls of treats for the kids to give to Walter. "Walter takes the treat gently from the kid's hand, turns his head to the side and makes a big deal of depositing the treat on the floor. The poor kid is devastated, I feel terrible, and Walter curls his lip waiting for his next victim."

Pamela was not deterred. She said, "These are Giddyap Girls treats. They are all natural, they taste great and horses love them."

"Thanks, but no thanks," I said. "I give Walter treats on holidays, such as Christmas. But all his treats are part of a special meal that is good for him both nutritionally and psychologically."

Christmas dinner, for example, might start with a special appetizer. Let's tickle his palate with some sliced carrots, a big sticky gob of honey or molasses, some sugar cubes or even sliced fruit. If fed in very small amounts, all are good for horses, and will certainly stimulate his desire to eat. In fact, these appetizers are good for poor eaters anytime. If you think you get tired of Hamburger Helper, just think how tired a horse gets of hay or grass. A little appetizer a half hour before the main course can really make a horse eat like a horse.

Roots will bring toots of happiness as the first course. Carrots are the basic root. Add some parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, potatoes or sugar beets in small amounts and you've got a delicious beginning. (Be sure to cut all roots into small pieces.) Now how about a special relish. Pumpkins, squash and melons, sliced and in small amounts are excellent. Don't worry about the seeds, they aren't harmful to horses. Entree: hay or grass and plenty of it. (Horses cannot tolerate major changes in diet, so all the special treats need to be in very small amounts. Your horse's diet should not be changed radically. Even be careful when introducing a new load of hay or grass as sudden changes in moisture content or curing, can cause colic.) If you want to add a tantalizing sauce to the entree, pour on some molasses or honey. If you just want to jazz up the meal a little, sprinkle some sugar on the hay. For horses not normally getting grain, this is a good time to reward your pal with a small handful or two or sweet food. Desserts should always be small. An apple a day is a good guiding rule. Holidays require a little something special, so try a plum, a pear, a peach or a nectarine. Be sure the pit has been removed. I like an after dinner mint; so does Walter. Peppermint Lifesavers are always good.

"Well, that's a wonderful meal," said Pamela.

"Thank you very much," I replied.

"And Giddyap Girls biscuits are just like that. Our treats are made of apples, raisins, carrots, beet pulp, molasses, oat bran, oat flour and more, she explained. "And they are both nutritionally and psychologically good for a horse. "Here, try one," she said as she broke a small piece off a biscuit for me to sample.

I'm a lot more polite than Walter. You know I'm not going to spit it on the floor. I chewed up the biscuit. It was pretty tasty.

"Now don't you think every horse deserves a little treat everyday? After all, they try so hard to please us everyday?"

"You can't be talking about Walter," I countered.

"He's going to love them."

"Will not," I said.

"Will so," she said.

Why is it when I say Walter won't, he does? (Guess what Walter is getting next Christmas.)!!

Look for Don Blazer's book at tack, book and Petsmart stores. Visit a Horse, Of Course on the Internet www.donblazer.com