Apple of your eye
Holiday delights for the horses in your life.

by Audi Donamor

From the time I learned to walk, horses were always a part of my daily life. I couldn’t wait for my dad to come home from his office, so I could find out if I would get to go with him to the stable to visit Little John, and the other horses. Visits to the stable were like the holiday season and the very best birthdays, rolled into one great big wonderful event.

December was always a magical time at the stable. We’d be all bundled up, and if I was really good, there would be hot chocolate for me, and extra special treats to give to the horses.

Now, over 50 years later, I still think of those extra special moments at the stable, going from stall to stall with my treats for the horses. It seemed to me they knew when I was coming to visit, and even now, just thinking of those times brings a smile to my face.

While treat recipes have evolved over the years, the basics remain the same – something that tastes good, and something that is packed with goodness.

Have fun making your “apple slides” and “carrot shots,” and do try making your own wreath. It’s lots of fun, and one more way we can celebrate the joy and love of the holiday season.

Apple slides

Ingredients
• 6 red apples
• Local honey, e.g., blueberry, wildflower, dandelion, desert sage*
• Whole oat flakes, oatmeal, or simple granola (oats, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds)
• Cinnamon
• Sundried unsulphured cranberries Instructions

Instructions
1. Try to use organic ingredients whenever possible.

2. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3. Slice apples to a thickness of 1/8” to 1/4” and place them on the cookie sheets.

4. Drizzle honey on the apple slices. It will spread to the edges of the slices.
(They aren’t called “slides” for nothing!)

5. Sprinkle with your choice of oat flakes, oatmeal or granola.

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon. A loose tea strainer is perfect for this task.

7. Bake for one hour.

8. Freeze the apple slides right on the cookie sheets. If you are “gifting” them, purchase a glass plate at the dollar store, or buy a neat China plate from a garage sale. Lay the apple slides on the plate, decorate with more sundried cranberries, add some fresh berries or an apple rosette (see next page) and cinnamon sticks.

9. For quick trips from the house to the barn, apple slides can be frozen in layers in Ziploc bags, and defrosted as you need them.

* If you have an insulin resistant horse, you can use apple juice or hemp oil in place of honey. Hemp oil is packed with nutrients and has a wonderful nutty flavor that horses love. By the way, apples and oats are low on the Glycemic Index.

(More receipes found in the print or digital magazine)

THE BENEFITS OF Festive ingredients

Carob
Rich in natural sugars and contains all the principal vitamins and minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, silicon, vitamin A, vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, niacin and protein.

Cinnamon
Used to help treat a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including nausea and flatulence. Known as an antibacterial and antifungal agent; a sprinkling of cinnamon can help heal a cut faster. One teaspoon of cinnamon contains as many antioxidants as 1/2 cup of blueberries.

Coconut
Rich in digestible oils and an excellent source of fiber, which helps to remove worm eggs.

Cranberries
Contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant even more powerful than vitamin E – 50mg to 80mg are found in a 100g serving of cranberries. Proanthocyanidins (another antioxidant) help strengthen blood vessels and improve delivery of oxygen to cell membranes. Ellagic acid can cause apoptosis or “cell death” in cancer cells. Cranberries also contain fiber, manganese and vitamin K, and are rich in vitamin C and tannins, which help keep bacteria from adhering to the walls of the urinary tract, and support healthy teeth and gums.

Honey
There are more than 300 types of honey in the United States alone. Darker honeys contain the most antioxidants. Honey is soothing to any inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, and is also nature’s “band aid.”

Oats
A strength-giving cereal. Soothes the digestive tract and the nervous system. Low in starch and high in minerals, especially potassium and phosphorus. Also contain calcium, magnesium, and are rich in B vitamins and a good source of iron. Oats support strong teeth, hooves, nails and hair.

Red apples
Heart smart and rich in antioxidants. A diet rich in red apples helps inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Contain phytochemicals, lycopene and anthocyanins, lots of vitamin C, calcium, chlorine, fluorine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, sulphur and trace minerals. Red delicious, northern spy and Ida red have more potent disease fighting antioxidants than other apples.

Sesame seeds
Contain calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, tryptophan, zinc, vitamin B1 and diet fiber. Also a source of sesamin and sesamolin, which belong to a special group of fibers called lignans that have been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure in humans, and increase vitamin E supplies in animals. Sesamin also protects the liver from oxidative damage.

Sunflower seeds
An excellent source of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. Also contain vitamin B1, vitamin B5, copper, tryptophan and phosphorus. Their phytoesterols can help reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance immune response, and even decrease the risk of some cancers. The seeds also have antiinflammatory and cardiovascular benefits.

Audi Donamor has been successfully creating special needs diets for
animals for over twelve years. She is the founder of the University
of Guelph’s Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund and the only two-time
recipient of the Golden Retriever Club of Canada’s Silmaril Kennel
Trophy for the human-animal bond.

Published in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine