Horses like mints.Why should they?Not only are mints delicious, but they are also good for the health of the body.Your horse will get fresh breath from them.Feed a mint to your horse by hand or in a pan.If feeding by hand, watch for signs of anxiety in the horse and remove yourself to a safe distance if it seems uncomfortable around you.
Step 1: Get a mint.
Most grocery stores have wrapped and unwrapped mints.Horses will not mind either type.It is possible to get a mint that is sugar-free.It's probably okay if you can't find a sugar-free mint.Horses with equine metabolic syndrome can't eat mints.Before feeding your mints to a horse, be sure to remove the wrapper.Your horse will get excited about its treat once it learns to recognize the sound of the wrapper.
Step 2: You can choose a horse.
Mints should be fed to horses.A horse that is calm and gentle is much easier to feed by hand than a high-strung horse.You might want to start feeding a smaller horse because larger horses are more intimidating for you.If you want to know which horse is most relaxed, gently pet it on the forehead or nose.The horse would be a good candidate to receive a mint if it doesn't shy away.Some breeds are calmer than others.They are known for their gentle demeanor.American Quarter Horses are very calm.Horses with a history of biting, chewing on human clothing, or grooming brushes, will probably not be gentle when being fed by hand.Do not feed a horse with these habits.
Step 3: Get the horse to pay attention.
You will need to get the horse to approach you if you want to feed it a mint.You can either use a verbal signal like "Mint!" or make a clicking sound to get the horse's attention.Do not bang pots and pans together to get the attention of the horse.This will cause stress on the horse.If you make kissing noises to the horses, they will come to you.
Step 4: The mint should be in front of the horse.
The best place to put the mint is on a flat surface that the horse can easily get to.If the horse is in a clean pasture, you could toss the mint at it.You could put the mint in a pan.Place the pan on the ground to the side of the horse if you want to bring the mint up to within five inches of his nose.Since horses can't see straight ahead, hold items that you want the horse to see off to one side of the head or the other.
Step 5: The horse can be fed by hand.
Stand next to the horse's shoulder and flatten your hand to experience a more intimate mint-feeding experience.If your thumb is against the side of your hand, make sure all your fingers are touching each other.The mint should be placed in the middle of your palm.Bring the hand holding the mint under the horse's neck to the side opposite you when the head is turned off-center.The horse's nose is about five inches from your hand.You will feel the horse's soft, fuzzy lips lapping up the mint in its mouth.Don't worry if the horse's mouth touches your hand.The horse won't bite you.If you suddenly pull away, the horse could be frightened.The horse's head should be lifted from your hand before you pull it back.If your horse becomes anxious when you feed it a mint, you should walk away and not give it the mint.Rewarding aggressive behavior with treats is not a good idea.If the horse is calm, try to feed it a mint again.When feeding the horse by hand or close by, make sure the handler is an experienced one.
Step 6: Mints can be incorporated into other foods.
It is a good idea to sprinkle crushed mint on apple slices.If you want your horse to love the water, you can drop a bunch of peppermints into it for eight to ten hours.If you have a horse that doesn't drink as much as he or she should, this method is useful.You can give your horse a special treat with commercially available mint-flavor horse snacks.
Step 7: Don't be greedy with your horse.
Horses can not easily overdose on mints, so don't worry about giving them too much.Your horse will be fine if you limit mints to once or twice a day.Mints can replace a meal.A healthy diet for horses requires plenty of hay and pasture.
Step 8: Mint leaves are fresh.
Your horse will benefit from Mint's anti- inflammatory and antibacterial properties.Growing your own small herb garden is the best way to provide a steady supply of mint for your horse.Mint seeds can be planted in a soil with a pH of six or seven.In the spring, the seeds should be placed 18 to 24 inches apart.Keep the soil moist.If you grow mint in a small garden that your horse can access, you won't have to feed it to it, and it can eat as much as it wants.
Step 9: Mint is good to cover other flavors.
If your horse needs to take a bitter medicine, you could wrap the pills in mint leaves and feed them to him.You could give your horse mint with another herb in order to make it less bitter.If your horse doesn't like the taste of milk thistle, you can feed it five or six leaves of mint.Feed four or five leaves of mint along with the milk thistle.Gradually reduce the amount of mint leaves you give the horse and it will be able to eat milk thistle without the added mint.
Step 10: Mint can be used to help young horses.
Feed the mare mint for a week if you want to wean the horse off its mother's milk.Milk production will end with this.
Step 11: You can make a mint infused drink.
Mint leaves can be put in a spray bottle.Allow the bottle to sit overnight.Mint leaves have cooling and anti-itch properties.If you want to keep bugs at bay during the hot summer months, spray the mint on the horse's legs, flank, and back to cool it down.You can use fresh or dried mint.