Picky Pill Eater Solutions
Anybody else out there have a picky pill eater? Some horses will eat anything and everything even medicine and supplements without batting an eye, others will sniff any and all treats and supplements with suspicion and flat out refuse to eat them. That can be a problem when they need pills for either a short term or a long term and getting a picky eater to take their pills can be frustrating.
My mom has an older stallion who has always been super picky and he recently was diagnosed with Cushings and flat out refuses to take the pill she has to give him everyday. So I turned to the amazing Heels Down Happy Hour Facebook Group to ask fellow horse owners what they use to entice those picky eaters to eat their pills. The responses were fantastic and I thought I would pass them along in case anyone else is having the same issue.
Just an FYI, some of these do contain a fair amount of sugar and may not be good for long term use or for horses that are insulin resistant. As always it is best to check with your vet if you have any concerns.
There are quite a few horse treats and cookies on the market that are designed to help hide pills and are usually soft and sticky and you can mold them around the pill. My mom originally started with some of these and he quickly caught on and refused to eat them, with or without the pill. But I thought I would list them in case your horse might like them.
EquiPocket Pill Pouch Treats (these are low sugar and low starch)
If the above treats don’t do the trick or your horse wants some variety here are some things to try that were suggested from fellow horse owners with picky eaters:
Applesauce (crush pill in it and feed or put in a syringe)
Molasses (put it in syringe with the pill)
Yogurt (crush pill in it and feed or put in a syringe)
Peanut Butter (hide pilll in a dollop)
Cake Frosting (hide pill in a dollop)
Pitted Prunes (they are soft, sticky and sweet and you can smush it around a pill)
Mini Marshmallow (tear it in half and stick the pill between the halves and smush together)
Carrots or Apples (hollow out a small hole and hide the pill in it)
Green Grapes (cut in half and hide the pill between the halves)
Banana (smush the pill in a chunk of banana or hide between two slices)
On another related note that will not work for pills but can help entice a picky eater to eat or drink one person commented they use beer. I googled this and apparently there is something to it. Because beer has its foundation in grains such as barley, these convey a flavor that horses often find attractive. Enticing a picky eater or encouraging a horse to drink are two very valuable reasons for sharing a beer with your horse, because you can add it feed or water for these purposes. If adding to water, make sure that plain water is always available in case your horse doesn’t actually like the beer flavor.
Good Luck getting your horse to take their pills and if none of the above help, drink a beer and eat a spoonful of cake frosting and you will probably feel better.
Shooter can totally get behind the beer idea!
