Lavender can be used in making horse treats

Q:

I just got some lavender extract paste can I make horse treats with it? If I can what should I put in them?

–Jamie

A:

Lavender can be used in making horse treats of almost any type you wish. Most horses will like the flavor, though it’s useful to know if you have culinary lavender or not. The culinary has a less strong flavor, while other forms may have more of a medicinal taste. There are many recipes on the internet for horse treats, and any of them can have lavender added.

The amount you will add will depend a bit on how strong your particular mixture is, since extracts can be made very concentrated or fairly dilute. Most likely you will use about ¼ to ½ tsp in a standard size recipe, but you can experiment with adding more, perhaps as much as a teaspon. Horses are sensitive to the essential oils so if it’s too strong, they may refuse it. However lavender is a flavor many horses appreciate. The essential oils in lavender can have a calming effect. Again, the exact amount to obtain calming will be based on the actual concentration of your preparation, but you can start with a low amount and double it in future batches.

Joyce