A homemade, DIY, horse healthy version of the popular Likit horse treat! If your horse loves their lick-it toy but you want a budget friendly and healthier option, here’s a recipe and full instructions for a DIY Stall Snack or Likit refill. The homemade Likit refill uses basic kitchen ingredients and comes together in less than an hour including bake time!
What is a Likit Horse Treat?
The Likit horse treat is a treat toy for horses. There are a few different models, but this tutorial is for the original hanging Likit or similar Stall Snack by Horsemen’s Pride.
These are innovative equine enrichment items that features a lickable center insert shaped like a cylinder, held in a plastic frame.
A center spindle holds the Likit block in place between two top and bottom pieces of plastic. The Likit looks like an empty spool of thread. The similar Horsemen’s Pride Stall Snack looks like a mostly-eaten apple:
The center Likit refill or Stall Snack refill is made of a hard, sweet material like a lollipop for horses. Refills come in different flavors.
Are Likit Toys Good for Horses?
Likit treats and Stall Snack toys for horses are great equine enrichment. Many horses really like them, and they can keep a horse busy for a long time.
Licking is relaxing for many horses, so these toys are good for taking a horse’s mind off stressful events or preventing boredom. The Likit and Stall Snack are both upgraded toy versions of the licking mat for horses (which is also an easy DIY!).
However, while the behaviors and stimulation are great, the sugar content isn’t the best. These toys are tasty because they’re very sweet. Some horses become very good at devouring their Stall Snack refills or Likit inserts, and you may not want your horse consuming so much sugar.
A once-in-a-while Likit refill or Stall Snack refill using the branded, sugary product is OK for most horses. But if your horse goes through them quickly, you’re right to wonder: How to make a DIY Likit refill? Are there a DIY Stall Snack refill recipes out there?
There sure are! We got kitchen creative to make a lickable treat that fits into Likit or Stall Snack toys.
Why a DIY Likit Refill for Horses?
When your horse eventually licks their lick it toy away, you’ll need a refill. Store bought Likit refills aren’t expensive, and there’s nothing wrong with buying them for convenience if your horse likes them.
But a DIY Likit refill made from pantry ingredients and your horse’s feed costs pennies to make. These days, making the budget stretch is more important than ever, so that’s a plus.
The most important reason to make your own DIY Stall Snack or Likit treat is for health and control over ingredients, though. The basic recipe in this article uses just a few ingredients. It’s mostly made of whole grains and seeds.
The best part? I tried several variations of the base recipe. They all came together really well, meaning you can experiment with different flavor combinations!
DIY Likit Refill Recipe
Ingredients and Supplies
This homemade horse treat comes together with basic kitchen ingredients. You will need:
Supplies:
– One 4 inch tube pan, mini angel food cake pan, or bundt pan see note below
– Vegan butter or cooking spray for greasing the pan
Base ingredients to hold the Likit refill together:
– 1/2 cup flour – bread flour is best for a Likit refill that will not crack and crumble
– 1/2 cup water, approximate
– 1/4 cup ground flax
– 1 egg white
Mix-in ingredients for flavor and shape:
– 1 cup total of any combination whole grain, expanded pellets of hay or feed, or horse-safe candy
– Spoonful of sugar (optional)
For this DIY lickit refill demo, I used 1/4 cup whole flax, 1/2 cup steel cut oats, and 1/4 cup whole wheat berries.
Note: What’s That Pan?
The tube pan is the secret to this DIY enrichment recipe. It’s a cake pan with a center tube that makes a cake with a hole – perfect for the spindle on a Likit treat holder.
I found this 4 inch mini springform tube pan at a local shop, and it is perfect for this project.
I had trouble finding this model online to provide a link. Thankfully, there’s a lot of wiggle room in this recipe. You can use any tube pan or mini bundt pan that’s about 4 inches in diameter – like this one, or this one, or this multi-cake tray.
Directions for the DIY Likit Refill
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the pan with cooking spray or vegan butter.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour and water to form a batter. I recommend bread flour because of its high protein content, which helps bind your lick treat together. Mix by hand or mixer for a minute to help the protein develop.
Add the ground flax and egg white, and mix. Note: eggs are safe for horses to eat. The egg white binds the ingredients together. If you (or your horse) are vegan, use an additional spoonful of flour or a pinch of xanthan gum as a binder.
If the batter is thick, add water a few drops at a time until it is the consistency of thick cake batter.
Add the grains, sugar (if using), and any other flavorings. Mix to combine. The batter should be chunky and thick, like wet granola.
Add the mixture to the pan using a spoon.
Pack the mixture tightly, pressing down to fill all air spaces. If you have extra batter, overfill slightly and round the top.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until hard and dry.
Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, invert pan and shake or tap out your DIY Likit refill. If the bottom seems moist, place the treat back in the oven on a baking sheet until dry on all sides.
When it’s cooled completely, thread your DIY horse treat onto your Likit or Stall Snack toy and enjoy!
For extra deliciousness, brush honey on the outside of the treat.
You can use this DIY Stall Snack refill anywhere you used the original toy.
For variations, experiment with different grains, and try adding flavor extracts like vanilla, peppermint, and orange. With this healthier homemade licking treat, your horse can enjoy different flavors guilt-free!
Related Enrichment
This homemade treat toy is a food puzzle for horses. Try these ideas for similar enrichment value:
DIY Licking Mat and Slow Feeder
5 Licking Mat Flavor Ideas for Your Horse
The Megalast Ball for an easy, budget friendly swinging treat toy
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