Most of my horses enjoy these 'cookies'. These are really easy to make, are almost, kind of, sort of healthy for the horse (okay, maybe healthy isn't the right word, but don't we all need a cookie once in while?).
I've used whole wheat flour in the recipe, but you can substitue all purpose (white) flour if that's all you have. Either way it isn't the best ingredient for a horse, but a binder is needed to help keep the cookies together. Sweet feed is not recommended, but if it's all you have then cut back the molasses to half a cup. Blackstrap molasses is the preferred molasses, as it has a higher mineral content than the fancy cooking kind.
Just a note - if your horse has HYPP, or any disease that requires a potassium restriction, then these cookies are not a good idea.
4 cups grain (like steam rolled oats)
8 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/8 cup ground flax
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
36 horse treat cookies
Don't worry about preheating the oven for this one. If it is already heated, that's great, but if not then save on your hydro bill and just turn it on once you put the cookies in. Oven temperature should be 300 degrees F.
Grease the pan well with solid shortening, a good heavy coat of corn oil, or line the pan with parchment paper.
Stir together 1/2 cup molasses with 1/2 cup water, until blended. Mix it into the rest of the ingredients together until it all looks like a stiff, ugly cookie dough. It is thick and can be difficult to mix. The range in water is there if it is too stiff to mix up - most of the time I do end up using the 3/4 cup of water.
Drop by tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet and bake in oven for 1 hour, until crisp. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
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