Southern Axcent’s Treat Gift Guide

Tis the season of gift giving and Ax’s favorite gifts come in the form of treats, cookies, and anything edible. After two years of owning the Cookie Monster I have figured out what he likes, what he loves, and what he goes crazy for.

Enjoy Yums Treats

I’m picky about the size of treats, I like them to be relatively small for a few reasons; one, Ax has a mild history of choking, and two, he gets riled up when he hears treat wrappers so I like to sneak him a tiny treat every now and then when he is being polite. The Enjoy Yums are the perfect size for my sneaky treating! Plus I love that they are made with no added sugar and with seven simple ingredients. So far we have only tried the carrot flavor but Ax loves them.

Uncle Jimmy’s Squeezy Buns

All natural, nutritional, and super soft—we love these! The individual wrapping eliminates messy treats flying everywhere and make them portable. They are a bit big, especially for a horse who would swallow one whole is he could, but they are soft enough to break into smaller chunks. I buy these in 3lb tubs, stuff them in my barn backpack, and use them as his one “special” treat a day. Though Ax would argue that he deserves more than one.

Withers & Withers Treats

Another perfectly sized treat, these are made with organic and fair trade ingredients so you don’t feel bad about feeding them to all the ponies—plus each flavor has different ingredients to benefit different horses! They come in a cute little tin to fit in your grooming bag that doesn’t make the telltale treat sound and they are made locally on my second home, Martha’s Vineyard. Ax’s favorites are marshmallow and peppermint.

The Cantering Chef Horse Treats

These are “SmartPak’s brand” of treats and with their deals, these ring in at the best price point—I picked up two bags for $12 during a recent sale. I don’t know about Ax, but after a while I get a little bored of seeing the same old treat flavors of mint, apple, and carrot. These introduced a new one, blackberry vanilla, and my giant cookie monster loved them! They also smell to-die-for and make your tack truck a treat heaven.

Cowgirl’s Kitchen

Theses are my most recent find. I met the founder, Jacqueline, at a recent trade show and picked up a container after she easily convinced me. With a few different options, including treats will a pill pocket and bran mash, I chose Cassino’s Kisses. All the treats are handmade and baked to order, AKA fresh, with no artificial ingredients. The bonus is that they smell amazing and look super cute with sugar hearts in the center—before Ax devours them.

Carrots and Apples and Peppermints, OH MY!

The classics. There isn’t much to say here—carrots are perfect for stretches, apples are super cheap around picking season, mints grab everyone’s attention thanks to the wrapper, but best of all, they are available at your local grocery store.

Happy snacking!

-TC