I have to give my favorite horse, Aladdin, 25 pills in the morning and 26 pills at dinner for the rest of his furry life.  He is only 20 so it could be years…  Luckily, I accidentally created a recipe that works with just about any medication — and I know because he has been on just about every medication while recovering from an acute illness.  He laps this up like it was candy, twice a day, every day.  He practically knocks down the feed room door while I’m preparing it.   (Here is a pic of a very muddy but healthy Aladdin, peeking into the feed room where he knows I am making his special SOUP.)

I have to admit, this recipe isn’t rocket science.  It just works.  Here is what you do.  (Note:  the pictures loaded from left to right for some reason… ) Get a stainless bowl or some type of bowl that a horse won’t break, hurt themselves with or that won’t absorb liquid.  A plastic feed bucket would work, too.

Then, I add a half cup of bran that you get in 50 pound bags at the feed store.  It lasts a very long time and is very inexpensive.

After that, I count out the pills. put them in a strong baggie (or any recycled. clean plastic bag) and I crush them with a hammer.  That is the worst part for me…

I put the crushed meds on top of the bran and add a dollop of molasses.  Depending upon the sugar tolerance of your horse, you might add more or less molasses, honey, applesauce or no-sugar maple syrup or low sugar Karo Syrup.  This amount works for Aladdin. 

(My “assistant” is pointing out where the molasses lives in case I might forget while being too slow to make his treat…)

Then, I add warm water on cold days and cold water on warm days.  But, he would take it any way.  I do that because it makes me feel better .  Anyway, it kinda foams up like this.

Before I can even leave the feed room with my concoction, he dives in. 

I back him out and place the bowl down where he slurps it up.  As you can see, he doesn’t leave much behind.

If you want, you can pour the mixture over grain or pellets, but for me, he just goes for it raw.  I think it’s like licking the cake batter bowl after your Mom has filled the tins…

Anyway, this is so easy and has saved me major frustration.  Aladdin also gets pastes this way including Banamine.  I’ve even given him wormer like this! No more fussing, just mix and DONE.

(I like this method better than just showering a bowl of grain with crushcd-up pills.  You never really know if they got it all…)

After my stinker is finished, he goes back into the feed room looking for more.  He loves the stuff!  Can you spell S-P-O-I-L-E-D?

That’s my boy!