Taste testing homemade horse treats

My sister visited from North Carolina last weekend, and she brought a couple bags of homemade horse treats from her friend at Carolina Pet Treats-N-Toys to undergo some rigorous scientific testing.

Seven horses and one dog analyzed and compared the horse crumbles and the horse cubes, and the result was: both were a hit!

The treats are all natural, with ingredients like oatmeal, carrot, sugar, molasses, and Cheerios. There was not a clear winner between the two types of treat; when offered both a cube and a crumble at the same time, one in each hand, the horses did not exhibit a distinct preference.

The horses paid close attention to the flavors, and carefully analyzed each treat. They all requested multiple samples to ensure they could give a complete report.

I rounded out my research with a dog’s point of view: two paws up!

Summary: all the horses (and the dog) loved these treats, and I was happier feeding these natural, homemade treats than the processed, commercial treats from the feed store.

For more information on the horse treats, or treats for your non-equine pets, contact Jamie Baldwin of Carolina Pet Treats-N-Toys, at 336-338-3186, or buttonrabbit4@yahoo.com.

Local apples and grape juice

Today’s breakfast was courtesy of Uncle Jim, who brought apples from Catoctin Mountain Orchard to a family gathering last week. So delicious; they didn’t even need the sprinkling of cinnamon I gave them.

Later in the afternoon, Mr. HP, Mr. Cheenius, and I (poor Cheenius wasn’t feeling well) visited some of our wonderful local vineyards. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful, bountiful area.

First stop: Flying Fox Vineyard, where we learned about the new Nelson 151 Trail, home to 7 wineries and 2 breweries.

Some very fancy people were chauffeured to Flying Fox to taste wines. We were not those fancy people.

Cadillac at Flying Fox Vineyard

We stopped at Cardinal Point Winery, home to possibly our favorite local wines, and finished the day enjoying the fabulous views at King Family Vineyards.

King Family Vineyards

It was a lovely afternoon! Missed you, Cheenius!