Starting a healthy treat business - need some help!

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Carlota

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Hello everyone! Hope some of you will read my story and help me out here! :o

I'm new to this forum. I'm someone who has been passionate about horses since I was 5 years old and have been ridding ever since. More than 10 years ago my parents bought me my first horse - that is still with me :) - and he is indeed the apple of my eye!
I'm currently studying abroad and can only see and ride my horse during the Winter and Summer vacations. When I'm at home, I like to bake some homemade treats for my horse and he is absolutely nuts about them!! I love to see his happy little face whenever I bring him my homemade treats! This has also made me so happy - to bake for my horse, to know that I'm feeding him good things and that he loves it so much! I always followed recipes that I could find online, but then I got this idea:
"I want to make healthy, natural, delicious treats for horses - and I want them to be different from what is already out there".
First of all, I think we should have no doubt in our mind that we are feeding our horses only the best stuff. I want to create treats that even horses with Insulin Resistance and Cushings can have, without any problems. I think it's really important and I'm a very health-conscious person, as I'm a Medicine Student who happens to be a crazy-horse lady as well!
I have been having loads of ideas - but now I need your help. I made a list of questions, that I'd be so so grateful if you could spend some minutes and answer. I truly value any contribution from you. I won't be easy, but I really want to make the best treats possible for horses - so that we all can show our horses just how much we love them without being worried about nasty chemicals or crazy amounts of sugar/molasses in the treats.

So here we go! :p
1) Have you ever bought any treats for your horse? If so, from which brand?
2) If you replied yes to the previous question, what did you like and didn't like about those treats.
3) What are the things that are most important to you in horse treats.
4) Would you be more inclined to buy treats that are suitable for horses suffering with IR and Cushings?
5) Do you think there are enough options in the market for healthy treats?
6) How much would you pay for a standard size bag/container of treats?
7) How important is the appearance of the treats for you?
8) Would you prefer them to come in a re-sealable plastic bag or in a plastic container?
9) Would you prefer the treats to be individually wrapped (while still inside the plastic container/bag)?
10) In which occasions do you buy treats for your horse?
11) Do you use treats to hide pills?


Thank you!! :o
P.S: English is not my native language
 
Good Luck with your new venture :)

I am probably not your target market but here you go anyway!

1. Yes, think they were spillers
2. Horses loved them :)
3. Low Sugar/starch
4. Yes
5. Don't know as I don't really look
6. £4/5
7. Not important
8. Easily opened container or bag that doesn't split
9. I wouldn't like them individually wrapped
10. Rarely, maybe if I had a voucher or they were on offer
11. No
 
There probably is a market but I can't help you at all as I don't buy any treats at all. I suspect it is like treats for humans - no one really cares what is in their cupcake or chocolate bar.
 
) Have you ever bought any treats for your horse? If so, from which brand?
2) If you replied yes to the previous question, what did you like and didn't like about those treats.
3) What are the things that are most important to you in horse treats.
4) Would you be more inclined to buy treats that are suitable for horses suffering with IR and Cushings?
5) Do you think there are enough options in the market for healthy treats?

To all these, yes: agrobs (treats or wisencobs best imo), purefeeds (not the best but on my 'ok' list and a better size and price), hilton herballs (would rather they ditched the garlic, last on my list as they stink too)


6) How much would you pay for a standard size bag/container of treats?

not much

7) How important is the appearance of the treats for you?

It is better if they are big enough to do stretches without my hand being bitten, of the above the purefeeds are better for this but there analysis isn't my favourite

8) Would you prefer them to come in a re-sealable plastic bag or in a plastic container?

bag

9) Would you prefer the treats to be individually wrapped (while still inside the plastic container/bag)?

Lord no!
10) In which occasions do you buy treats for your horse?
for stretches and if stood still for clipping etc

11) Do you use treats to hide pills?

nope no drugs here atm.

Baran some of us very much do care what is in them!!
 
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1) Have you ever bought any treats for your horse? If so, from which brand?

yep, bought all sorts over the years - they love the agrobs treats, but my purse prefers the Baileys ones, we've had loads of others incl feedmark etc

2) If you replied yes to the previous question, what did you like and didn't like about those treats.

I loved the smell of the agrobs ones and the ingredients list... the baileys ones are just such good value and the tub they come in is handy when empty. They both stay together pretty well which is great as I've usually got some in my pockets :o

3) What are the things that are most important to you in horse treats.

price. availability. horses have got to like them.

4) Would you be more inclined to buy treats that are suitable for horses suffering with IR and Cushings?

Not specifically those conditions but I would prefer to buy things without loads of rubbish in them.. however they don't eat that many that I'd worry unduly.

5) Do you think there are enough options in the market for healthy treats?

yes, tbh, there are lots available

6) How much would you pay for a standard size bag/container of treats?

hard pushed to beat the £6 for huge bucket of baileys ones tbh, but I would pay £4 for a bag now and then

7) How important is the appearance of the treats for you?

Not really, more important that they don't fall apart.

8) Would you prefer them to come in a re-sealable plastic bag or in a plastic container?

Container, they get re-used for all kinds of things

9) Would you prefer the treats to be individually wrapped (while still inside the plastic container/bag)?

no way, too much faff!

10) In which occasions do you buy treats for your horse?

For loading, stretching and I've usually got a few in my pocket when catching in as it makes it easier when they both come to me at once!

11) Do you use treats to hide pills?

no
 
Can't answer all of your questions, but:

3) What are the things that are most important to you in horse treats.
Would be low sugar and starch.

4) Would you be more inclined to buy treats that are suitable for horses suffering with IR and Cushings?
Given the above, yes.

7) How important is the appearance of the treats for you?
Not so much but a decent size is important.

11) Do you use treats to hide pills?
No, but I've seen several people on this forum who need to administer Bute powder and paste and find it tricky.
 
Thank you very much to all of those who have taken the time to answer. I really appreciate it and all feedback is noted. If more of you could answer and help me in this dream of mine, it would be much appreciated! :)
 
Hi happy to add my thoughts if it will help..
1, Feedmark,spillers,codlivine,naf
2,like that they are herbal
3,not full of sugary mollasses,unneeded ingredients
4,definately!pony has cushings.
5,not for the above
6,£5.00 max
7,not really but wouldnt want them to crumbly or small
8.plastic container
9,no would be fiddly
10,for stretches,etc
11,no use an apple slice.

Hope that helps
 
Hi and welcome!

Happy to help.

1) Have you ever bought any treats for your horse? If so, from which brand?

The best one was from Thunderbrooks Feeds. I've also used Dodson & Horrell Equi-bites but realised they had wheat in so had to stop those. (I also just use fruit and veg)

2) If you replied yes to the previous question, what did you like and didn't like about those treats.

Thunderbrooks Healthy treats were all organic. Equi-bites had allergens like wheat which horse was intolerant.

3) What are the things that are most important to you in horse treats.

No cereals/grains/alfalfa. Has to be grass based with plenty of herbs.

4) Would you be more inclined to buy treats that are suitable for horses suffering with IR and Cushings?

Yes. I would think these would not contain allergens and inflammatory ingredients.

5) Do you think there are enough options in the market for healthy treats?

No. Everything is mollasses based or grain based.

6) How much would you pay for a standard size bag/container of treats?

1kg for £5-7 is fair for quality organic ingredients.

7) How important is the appearance of the treats for you?

Not at all. As long as they stay relatively whole in your pocket ;)

8) Would you prefer them to come in a re-sealable plastic bag or in a plastic container?

Either as long as they are recyclable or compostible. The environment matters.

9) Would you prefer the treats to be individually wrapped (while still inside the plastic container/bag)?

Sounds like a waste of packaging to me.

10) In which occasions do you buy treats for your horse?

Not often as there's no good stockists locally.


11) Do you use treats to hide pills?

Nope. I just use my fingers and slide them in between the cheek.
 
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