Throwing a party for your horse and their horsey friends? Whether it's a birthday party, a show day celebration, or just a fun get-together, you'll want to serve up treats and eats that are specially tailored to a horse's tastes.
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Here are some of our favorite ideas for fun, horse-friendly foods and recipes to serve up at your barn's next big bash:
Top Horse Food Ideas
Graze Worthy Main Courses
Herb-Encrusted Hay Loaf - For a fancy main course, bake up a loaf of hay encrusted with horse-safe herbs and molasses. Slice and serve it on a decorative platter for your horse guests to nibble throughout the party. Parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage are all great herbs to use to give this baked hay a flavor boost horses love.
Hay, Grain, and Veggie Bake - Think of this as the "lasagna" of horse parties! Layer hay, your horse's regular grain, shredded carrots and apples, and splash of molasses in a casserole dish and bake until the ingredients are warmed through and lightly toasted. Then dish it up in buffet style so your equine guests can dive right in.
Party Pellets - Spruce up your horse's regular feed pellets by dying them festive colors and shaping them into fun designs using cookie cutters. Horse-safe food gel colorings or natural vegetable juices can be used to dye pellets pink, blue, green, or other party colors. Then use cookie cutters to shape them into stars, hearts, diamonds, or other fun shapes before serving.
Party Prepared Feedbags - Fill single-serving grain bags with your horse's favorite feed and hang them party favor style from stall doors or lay them at a table setting so each horse guest has their own personal feedbag to munch on throughout the celebration.
Edible Floral Centerpieces - For a very equine-appropriate centerpiece, create arrangements of edible flowers and herbs for your horses to nibble on while they party. Some horse-safe options include roses, geraniums, pansies, hibiscus, and lilacs. Just check that the flowers have not been sprayed with chemicals or pesticides before serving to your equine guests.
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| Horse Food Ideas (Popcorn) |
Sensational Side Dishes
Baked Apples - Core and bake apples drizzled with molasses and filled with a horse-friendly mix of oats, shredded carrots, raisins, and cinnamon until tender. These sweet treats double as a cute table centerpiece before becoming an edible side dish.
Herbed Turnips - Turnips roasted with horse-safe herbs are an excellent savory side. Try garlic powder, sage, thyme, and parsley baked on sliced turnips for a simple but delicious dish.
Horsey "Potato" Salad - Slices of cooked turnips or parsnips stand in for potatoes in this take on classic potato salad for horses. Toss the cooked "potatoes" with a horse-safe mayo substitute dressing such as a oil and lemon juice based dressing.
Festive Fruit and Veggie Skewers - Assemble colorful sliced fruits like apples, bananas, and oranges with horse-friendly veggies like carrots and celery on mini skewers or long strips of hay. Arrange them prettily on platters for a fun, picky party appetizer.
Single-Serving Salads - Portion out individual fruit and veggie salads in feed pans or bags so each horse guest gets their own salad serving. DIY "salad bar" options work great so horses can pick and choose their own toppings!
Sweet Treats and Desserts
Birthday Cake - You can't have a birthday party without cake! Bake up a "cake" out of horse feed pellets and molasses shaped into rounds and frosted with a thin layer of mashed applesauce or banana. Insert candles for the birthday celebrant to blow out.
Molasses Horse Cookies - Combine oats, barley flour, molasses, shredded carrots, applesauce, and baking powder. Form into cookie shapes and bake into horse-friendly cookies they can nibble post-party.
Apple Fries - Sliced apples baked with cinnamon and drizzled with a thin molasses glaze taste just like carnival apple fries. Arrange them in baskets lined with colorful bandanas.
Energy Balls - Mix oats, hay pellets, molasses, shredded veggies, and nut butter into dough, form into balls, and refrigerate until firm. Unwrap these homemade "power bars" just before serving.
Horse Birthday Sundae - Layer hay pellets, chopped apples, mini carrots, crumbled horse treats, sunflower seeds and a molasses drizzle into a feed bowl for an edible sundae bar dessert. Top with a festive edible flower.
Party Punch Bowl - Float sliced oranges, apples, and carrots in a large tub of water flavored with low-sugar electrolyte replacer or juice. Let your horse guests ladle up refills from this refreshing beverage station.
Decorations & Themes to Set the Mood
When it comes to decor, think fun and rustic. Accent your barn venue with:
- Streamers, garlands, pinwheels, and ribbons
- Bandanas, cowboy hats, and kerchiefs
- Floral arrangements in buckets or watering cans
- Hay bale seating with saddle blanket cushions
- Lanterns, fairy lights, and mason jars for a country feel
- Tipis, pony rides, and ranch props for a western style
Get creative with fun themes based on your horse's personality or interests:
Western or Rodeo Theme
Bring out your inner cowboy or cowgirl with rodeo style games, bandanas as napkins, bales of hay for seating, and farmhouse details. Serve apple fries, molasses cookies, and burlap sacks of carrots and apples to complete the look.
Hawaiian Luau Theme
A tropical luau is perfect for a summer celebration. Adorn your barn with tiki torches, leis, palm fronds, and bright colors. Fruity kabobs and skewers served in coconut shells or pineapples bowls make fun island-inspired treats.
Masquerade Soiree Theme
For an elegant affair, outfit your horses in masquerade masks and your barn in gleaming accents. Formal horse blankets or fly sheets for the guests of honor add sophisticated flair. Adorn tables with candles, flowers, and decadent desserts like iced apple cookies or carrot cupcakes.
Disco Dance Theme
Roll back to the 70s with a disco ball, colorful neon lighting, and groovy treats. Sprinkle your horse's grain with edible glitter for a sparkling feast. Serve apple slices and carrot sticks speared on mini fondue skewers for a far out vibe.
Equestrian Spa Theme
Pamper your posse with a spa day celebration. Adorn tables with clean horse blankets, toasted oat bags as slippers, and mini water coolers with fresh herbs soaking inside. Serve chilled, hydrating snacks like fruit skewers and cucumber rounds.
The decorations, colors, music, and equine spa treatments you choose all help create the perfect ambiance for your special day. Get creative, keep it horse-safe, and your four-legged friends are sure to have a blast.
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| Horse Food Ideas |
Fun & Games to Keep the Party Going
Once your decor is up and the food is prepped, it's time for activities! Planning some engaging games and entertainment ensures your horse guests have a great time mingling and celebrating together.
Horse Show or Race
Clear a wide path and hold mini obstacle course races or classes to show off your horses' skills. Award fun prizes like hand-decorated ribbons, garlands, or bubbles.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
This classic game translates perfectly to a horse barn. Cut out a large poster of a horse's hindquarters. Blindfold each horse guest, spin them around, and let them pin a fake tail on the pony picture. Silly fun!
Egg and Spoon Pony Relay
Divide into teams and let horses carefully carry an egg balanced in a spoon down the lane and back. No hands allowed! Replace eggs with lightweight plastic eggs to reduce mess.
Musical Stalls
Play musical chairs, barn style! When the music stops, horses must scramble to get back to a stall. Remove one stall each round until there is a final winner.
Bobbing for Apples/Carrots
Fill buckets with water and add floating apple and carrot chunks. Let blindfolded horses bob for the fresh fruits and veggies. Provide towel drying after for wet ponies.
Horse Trivia
Test guests' horse sense with a round of equine trivia and trivia games. Offer prizes like special brushes, fancy lead ropes, applesauce, and horse treats to the brainiest pony pals.
Photo Booth
Set up a themed backdrop and fun props or signs for a DIY photo booth. Supply horse-safe edible glitter, flowers, and other accents to customize photos. Print out snapshots as take-home party favors.
No matter what activities you choose, make sure horses have ample room to maneuver safely. And don't overdo the games - leave plenty of time for grazing, gift opening, and just hanging out.
Favors and Goodie Bags
Send horse guests home from your bash with sweet edible favors and take-home goodies to extend the fun. Some ideas include:
- Horse cookies or energy balls in cello bags
- Applesauce with an edible flower garnish in a mini mason jar
- Single-serving oat bags tied with ribbon
- Spa items like salt licks or aromatherapy oils in personalized sacks
- Homemade equine body scrubs or bath bombs
- Braided horse hair gifts like key chains or jewelry
- Bandana napkins printed with "Thanks for celebrating!"
- Molasses horse popsicles in summer
- Hand-painted horseshoes or tiles
- Note cards or photos from the photo booth
Treat your four-legged friends to favors specially made for their tastes and they'll have mementos to make the day memorable long after the party ends.
Recipes to Get Your Horse Party Started
Now that you're inspired with plenty of ideas for your horse's big bash, it's time to get cooking! Here are some top-rated recipes for horse party treats to try:
Energy Balls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 Tbsp peanut or almond butter
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Dough should be thick and moldable. If too sticky, add more oats.
- Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm. Store chilled.
Horse Birthday Cake
Ingredients:
- l4 cups rice or oat bran
- 1 cup wheat bran
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 mashed ripe banana
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- Decorations: applesauce, edible flowers, candies, etc.
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a round cake pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, combine bran, oatmeal, and molasses. Mix in banana and applesauce until a firm dough forms.
- Press dough into prepared cake pan in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned.
- Let cool completely before decorating with applesauce writing, candies, and flowers.
- Keep refrigerated until party time. Slice into wedges to serve.
Apple Carrot Salad
Ingredients:
- 3 medium apples, diced
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup oats
- 1 Tbsp molasses
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss to mix evenly.
- For individual servings, portion into bags or feed bowls. Serves 3-4 horses.
- Store salad refrigerated for up to 3 days. The molasses will create a light dressing.
From decor to dessert, hopefully these ideas give you plenty of inspiration for throwing your horse a stylish celebration filled with equine-approved eats. Get creative with fun themes, games, and DIY touches to make your bash a major success. Just be sure to snap some pictures of your horse guests enjoying the festivities - those memories will be priceless!
Horse Theme Party Food Ideas
At a horse-themed birthday or barn bash, serve snacks that nod to your love of all things equine.
- Horseshoe sandwiches - PB&J or deli pinwheel sandwiches cut into horseshoe shapes
- Hay bale table centerpiece out of frosted cupcakes stacked together
- Trail mix or oatmeal packets labeled Pony Chow
- Stable Snacks - veggie trays with ranch dip in a mini trough
- Pretzel and apple polo pony poles skewered together
- Buggy wheel cookies with an inner ring of icing
- Pony Pellets - chocolate coated hay pellet treats
- Sugar cookies decorated into horses with royal icing
- Baked apple halves topped with peanut butter saddles
- Winning Ribbons fruit leather strips in yellow, red, blue.