By The Huds and Toke Editorial Team, Coolum Beach, Queensland. 17 minute read. Published 24 October 2026.

Below: the three side by side, then each pairing people actually search for, how long each lives, how fast they run, what the law in your state says about walking a retired greyhound, and what to feed. The calculator turns it into grams for your dog. Australian sources come first; overseas ones are marked.

In this guide: At a glance  |  Whippet vs Italian Greyhound  |  Greyhound vs Whippet  |  Lifespan  |  Temperament  |  Speed  |  Adopting  |  Muzzle rules  |  Feeding  |  Calculator  |  Treats  |  Questions

The Italian Greyhound standard calls it "A greyhound in miniature, more slender in all proportions." Stand one next to a Whippet and the miniature part is obvious. On Britannica's figure of about 13 kg (overseas), a typical Whippet weighs around three times as much as an Italian Greyhound at the top of its standard. The American Kennel Club's ranges are wider: 11.3 to 18.1 kg for a Whippet and 3.2 to 6.4 kg for an Italian Greyhound, converted from its pounds.

Australia does not even show them in the same ring: Dogs Australia puts the Whippet in Group 4, the Hounds, and the Italian Greyhound in Group 1, the Toys. That one line explains most of what follows. A Whippet is a small running hound. An Italian Greyhound is a toy dog built like one.

Italian Greyhound size

The standard asks for 32 to 38 cm at the withers and an ideal weight of 3.6 to 4.5 kg, and adds: "Overall type and elegance essential." Under 5 kg of dog on long fine legs is the whole story of the breed, good and bad.

Italian Greyhound temperament, and the Whippet's

Dogs Australia describes the Italian Greyhound as "Intelligent, affectionate and vivacious, may appear aloof." The Whippet standard reads "Gentle, affectionate, even disposition" and calls the breed "An ideal companion. Highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings." We found no Australian vet or adoption source that goes beyond the breed standards on temperament for either breed, so we will not either.

The Italian Greyhound's weak spot: its front legs

An Adelaide vet, Andrew Spanner of Walkerville Vet, writes that leg fractures in Italian Greyhounds are common, the classic break being in the lower foreleg just above the wrist, mostly in puppies and young adults. Going through his clinic's files he counted 7 fractures in around 30 Italian Greyhounds and, with what he calls a rough and ready adjustment, put the rate at between 25 and 45% of the breed. That is one clinic's files, not a survey.

A German study (overseas) found the forearm bone of toy breeds less dense, with thinner internal struts, which the authors say could contribute to the higher risk of these fractures in toy breeds. Dr Spanner's advice is to avoid running play and jumping from furniture, though he notes most dogs seem to break a leg just running in the house like any other dog. Repair usually needs a plate or external fixator fitted by a specialist surgeon, which he puts at around $4000 in Australia. We found no source that links these fractures to food or treats. It is in this article because it is a real practical difference between the two breeds.

Under Dogs Australia's standards a Greyhound stands 69 to 76 cm and a Whippet 44 to 51 cm, measured at the shoulder. Greyhounds As Pets NSW gives typical adult greyhound weights of about 25 to 28 kg for females and 30 to 35 kg for males. UK pet greyhounds under vet care averaged 29.7 kg, males 32.3 kg and females 27.2 kg (overseas). Two Whippets and change, in other words.

The two standards draw the same shape. The Greyhound's chest is "deep and capacious, providing adequate heart room"; the Whippet's is "very deep with plenty of heart room", with a "definite tuck up" behind it. The Whippet standard sums up the brief: "Built for speed and work. All forms of exaggeration should be avoided."

Whippet size and weight

Dogs Australia's Whippet standard asks for 47 to 51 cm in dogs and 44 to 47 cm in bitches and gives no weight. If you are reading American pages, the American Kennel Club allows a Whippet up to 22 inches, about 56 cm, which is taller than the Australian standard. An Australian Whippet at the top of its standard is still a long way short of the smallest Greyhound bitch.

Is a Whippet or Greyhound better?

Better is your call. These are the differences the sources actually support:

• Lifespan: a median 13.4 years for Whippets against 11.5 for Greyhounds in the UK study.
• Rules: Australian lead and muzzle laws written for greyhounds apply to Greyhounds; we found none that single out Whippets.
• Getting one: state adoption programs rehome retired racing Greyhounds, from $100 in Queensland and Victoria.
• Treats: by our sums a 29.7 kg Greyhound's daily treat allowance is nearly twice a 13 kg Whippet's.
• Teeth: both carry raised odds of gum disease in UK vet records, the Greyhound more so.

Greyhound Racing Victoria's adoption program puts the average greyhound lifespan at between 10 and 14 years. The biggest study is from the UK (overseas): across 584,734 dogs, McMillan and colleagues found a median lifespan of 11.5 years for Greyhounds, shorter than crossbreeds at 12.0, against 13.4 for Whippets and 14.0 for Italian Greyhounds. The Italian Greyhound figure rests on only 70 deaths, so its range is wide, 13.2 to 15.1 years. Even so, the study lists the Italian Greyhound among the breeds least at risk of early death.

A separate UK study of pet greyhounds under vet care found a median of 11.4 years, with females outliving males, 11.8 years to 11.2. Its most common causes of death were cancers (21.5%), collapse (14.3%) and musculoskeletal disorders (7.8%). The authors note their cancer figure is well below a US online survey of retired racing greyhounds, in which owners gave cancer as the cause in 58% of deaths and bone cancer in 25%. None of these sources links bone cancer to food or treats. It is a conversation for your Australian vet, not your pantry.

The Greyhound's couch reputation comes straight from the people who rehome them. Greyhound Racing Victoria says greyhounds are sprinters, tire very quickly, and that in most homes a short brisk walk once a day is enough. Greyhounds As Pets NSW calls their energy "Boom and Bust" and suggests two 20 minute walks a day. GAP Queensland says a walk twice a day and a free play is generally sufficient.

We found no source that compares a Whippet's need for exercise with a Greyhound's, and nothing Australian on Whippet or Italian Greyhound exercise. The Whippet standard's "Built for speed and work" is the closest thing to a hint. So the honest answer is that nobody has measured it.

Greyhounds with children, cats and strangers

The Greyhound standard reads: "Intelligent, gentle, affectionate and even tempered." GRV says retired racers are very tolerant with children and will usually walk away from an overbearing child rather than snap or growl, but that small children should never be left unsupervised with one. Asked about cats and rabbits, its answer is "It depends on the dog": some greyhounds are not suitable for homes with small animals, and a lot are. GAP Queensland is blunt about guarding: "Do not expect a greyhound to be a good watchdog." RSPCA Australia says greyhounds generally have friendly and gentle dispositions.

Greyhound Racing Victoria puts greyhounds among the fastest land mammals, at up to 67 km/h, against about 70 km/h for a horse and 44 km/h for a sprinting man. In a small US study of seven racing greyhounds (overseas), the dogs averaged 15.13 to 15.25 metres a second over 500 m races, depending on their diet, about 54 to 55 km/h by our conversion. Top speed and race average are different numbers, which is why both get quoted.

Can a Whippet beat a Greyhound?

Not on the published figures. Britannica (overseas) gives the Whippet up to 56 km/h and says it is known in England as the "poor man's racehorse." We found no source that races the two against each other, and no reliable top speed for the Italian Greyhound.

That turn of speed is why GAP Queensland strongly recommends never letting a greyhound off-leash, dog parks and beaches included. GRV calls letting a greyhound run off lead in public places both illegal and extremely dangerous.

Greyhound Racing NSW says 1,634 greyhounds went into homes through its Greyhounds As Pets programs in the 2024 to 2025 financial year, overseas placements included, up 11.76% on the year before. These are dogs bred for the racing industry, which shapes the feeding advice further down.

Adoption costs little. Through GAP Queensland it is $100, and each dog comes desexed, heartworm tested, vaccinated, microchipped and with a full dental assessment including a scale and polish. Greyhound Racing Victoria's program also lists a $100 adoption fee. In NSW the usual fee is $250, or $150 for greyhounds aged seven and over, with lower prices at some adoption days.

In the ACT, the Territory's 2017 amendment bills set greyhound racing and trialling to cease from 30 April 2018. In Tasmania, the state government says it remains committed to phasing out greyhound racing by 30 June 2029.

Greyhound muzzle rules by state

RSPCA Australia says there is no evidence that greyhounds as a breed pose any greater risk to the public than other dogs, and noted in 2022 that mandatory muzzling of pet greyhounds happened only in Australia and Northern Ireland. Most states have now dropped the muzzle for pets, South Australia the latest in November 2025. The lead is another matter.

For a newly adopted greyhound, NSW's Office of Local Government advises keeping the muzzle on in public for at least eight weeks while you settle the dog and watch how it behaves. Whippets and Italian Greyhounds follow the ordinary dog rules: we found no Australian law that singles them out.

Three very different bowls, and two things to watch: a mouth that needs looking after, and, in the Greyhound at least, very little body fat.

Teeth come first

The NSW greyhound regulator, the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission, tells owners and trainers that greyhounds are vulnerable to dental disease, which can be painful and costly to treat, and that raw, meaty bones or chews belong in the diet. Its guide is written for the racing industry, and its code of practice requires bones or chew toys unless a vet directs otherwise. WSAVA (overseas) warns that bones, raw as well as cooked, can be very dangerous if dogs chew or swallow them, so ask your Australian vet before you add any.

UK vet records (overseas) show why. In a single year, 39% of pet greyhounds were diagnosed with periodontal disease, by far the most common problem in the study. The researchers note the dogs were fairly old, 7.6 years on average, which may push that figure up, and that rehomed racers may have had limited dental care during their racing careers.

Across the UK's general dog population, about one dog in eight had periodontal disease in a year; Greyhounds had about 2.6 times the odds of a crossbred and Whippets about 1.7 times, in a second study. The other breeds near the top of that list were all small dogs. The Greyhound was the exception.

For the Italian Greyhound we found no figure, only a US genetics paper that describes periodontal disease as prevalent in the breed. The same paper found an inherited enamel defect in 14% of the Italian Greyhounds studied, and no link between that defect and gum disease.

GAP Queensland gives every greyhound a full dental assessment with a scale and polish before adoption. Keep that clean start going. A chew is part of the routine; your Australian vet looking in the mouth is the rest of it.

Very little body fat, thin skin

Greyhound Racing Victoria says greyhounds have relatively thin skin and very little body fat, which helps them cool down after a run but makes them susceptible to cold weather. The NSW regulator's guide adds that extra fat in the diet is necessary in cold weather. We found no vet or adoption source on the cold for Whippets or Italian Greyhounds; the Italian Greyhound standard says only that the skin is fine and supple.

Feeding a retired racer

GRV advises feeding twice a day in roughly equal amounts, morning and evening, and says a new greyhound may still be in racing condition and need to gain some weight. Its target is a dog whose ribs you can feel but not see. The NSW regulator's body condition chart allows a little more at ideal, where the last few ribs may be visible, and notes that racing greyhounds usually sit between thin and ideal.

GRV suggests a main food with around 26% protein and at least 15% fat, with meat as the first ingredient. GAP Queensland says greyhounds eat as much as an average large breed dog and thrive on a high fat, high protein diet. GAP NSW says most adoptees arrive at a healthy weight, have a fast metabolism and are quite manageable to keep at an optimal weight, and suggests a vet check if a greyhound will not finish its bowl.

A small US study of seven racing greyhounds (overseas) found their energy needs only slightly higher than those of moderately active dogs. A retired greyhound on a couch is not a racing greyhound, so the calculator below uses ordinary pet figures. GRV is firm on bones: never feed cooked ones, which can splinter.

Bloat and meal times

GRV warns that bloat (gastric dilation and volvulus) can kill within a few hours if untreated, and that if you suspect it you must get your greyhound to a vet straight away, day or night. Its advice: two smaller meals rather than one big one, no exercise for at least an hour before and after eating, water always available so the dog does not gulp, and a slow-feeder bowl for a fast eater. Greyhounds As Pets SA says no walks for 30 minutes either side of a meal, so the programs differ on timing.

They differ on bowls too. GAP SA recommends a raised bowl, 20 to 30 cm off the ground. A large US study of bloat risk (overseas), in eleven other large and giant breeds, linked raised bowls with more bloat, not less. Greyhounds were not in it. Ask your Australian vet which suits your dog.

Tell your vet it is a greyhound

Greyhounds' blood results read differently from most dogs'. A US review (overseas) lists higher red cell mass and creatinine and lower platelet counts and T4 among the differences, and puts the higher creatinine down to their large muscle mass. Worth knowing before a routine blood test sends you home worried.

Pick a breed, put in your dog's weight, and pick a treat. The calculator gives the day's treat allowance in calories and in grams of that treat, then shows the same treat for the other two breeds so you can see how far apart they really are.

By our sums, a 29.7 kg Greyhound weighs about 7.4 times as much as a 4 kg Italian Greyhound but gets only about 4.5 times the treat calories, because energy needs rise more slowly than bodyweight. In practice the trap runs the other way. A handful sized for a Greyhound is most of an Italian Greyhound's day.

We make the treats below, so read this as a maker describing its own range. Every figure comes from our own nutrition panels, and every product named was in stock on 24 October 2026.

Fat runs from 3.34% in Veggie Tubes to 22.7% in Goat Heart, nearly seven times as much. Energy varies far less, from 309 to 473 kcal per 100 g, so for portion size the breed matters much more than the treat.

For a Greyhound

For a lean ex-racer that your vet would like to see carry a bit more, the richer meats earn their place. Goat Heart is 22.7% fat and 473 kcal per 100 g, the most energy in this list, in pieces of about 6 cm. Goat Lung Puff is 19.3% fat. Lamb Puff, made from lamb lung, is 14.6% fat. The rest of the range is in goat dog treats and lamb dog treats.

Once your greyhound has filled out, swap to the lean one. Kangaroo Tendons are 4.2% fat, the leanest meat treat in this list, and about 10 to 25 cm long. That length is why we list them under Greyhound and Whippet and not Italian Greyhound. Our other long chews are in the chews range. We make no claim that any chew cleans teeth: no source we trust says a particular chew does.

For a Whippet

A 13 kg desexed Whippet's whole treat allowance is about 77 kcal, or 16 to 25 g depending on the treat in our table. That is a middle-sized dog's ration. Chicken Breast Chews are 16.3% fat and about 5 mm thick. Kangaroo Tendons work as the weekly chew. For a Whippet carrying a little too much, start with our low fat dog treats.

For an Italian Greyhound

A 4 kg Italian Greyhound's whole day of treats is about 32 kcal, which is 10 g of Kangaroo Micro Bones. That calls for small pieces and a light hand. Kangaroo Micro Bones are 6% fat and 309 kcal per 100 g. Little Fish Bites are about 1 cm by 1 cm and 3.7% fat. Veggie Tubes, about 2 cm by 4 cm and 3.34% fat, break in half for a toy-sized mouth. More small ones are in our dog training treats.

Our everyday Little Doggy Donuts are 10% fat and 359 kcal per 100 g. A birthday treat, in other words, and the day's allowance still applies.

What does not suit, and who it suits instead

• Goat Heart for an Italian Greyhound. At 473 kcal per 100 g, 6.7 g is a 4 kg dog's entire day. It suits a Greyhound that needs to put weight back on.
• Kangaroo Tendons for an Italian Greyhound. A chew 10 to 25 cm long, for a dog whose whole day is about 10 g of it. They suit a Greyhound or a Whippet.
• Goat Lung Puff, Lamb Puff and Goat Heart for a Greyhound or Whippet that is already carrying extra. At 14.6 to 22.7% fat they are among the richest in the list, with Chicken Breast Chews at 16.3%. They suit the lean ex-racer.
• Veggie Tubes and Little Fish Bites for a thin ex-racer gaining weight. They are our lowest fat treats here, at 3.34% and 3.7%, and grain-based: whole flour, oats and rice lead both ingredient lists. They suit a Whippet or an Italian Greyhound watching its waist, and training.
• Kangaroo Micro Bones, if you want meat and nothing else. The label lists kangaroo with rice flour, potato and tapioca starch, glycerol, sugar and salt, among other ingredients. The air-dried single meats (Goat Heart, Lamb Puff, Kangaroo Tendons) are 100% Australian meat. Micro Bones suit training any of the three.
• Little Doggy Donuts as an everyday treat for any of the three. They suit a birthday.

Single-meat labels: Goat Heart, Lamb Puff and Kangaroo Tendons each read "100% Australian" goat, lamb or kangaroo, naturally air dried. Little Fish Bites' list starts "Whole Flour, Whole Oats, Whole Rice"; Veggie Tubes' starts "Whole Flour, Oats, Rice".

For more breed-by-breed feeding, see our guides to treats for Kelpies, Cattle Dogs and Border Collies and Labradors, Goldens and Beagles.

Is a Whippet or Greyhound better?

Neither, on the evidence; they suit different homes. A Whippet weighs about 13 kg and lived a median 13.4 years in UK data, against 11.5 years for a Greyhound of 25 to 35 kg. Greyhounds come with state lead and muzzle rules, and cheap adoption through the state programs.

Are Whippets as lazy as Greyhounds?

No study compares them. Australian adoption programs say greyhounds are sprinters that tire quickly and are content with a short walk or two a day; the Whippet standard calls the breed built for speed and work, and highly adaptable.

What are the cons of a Whippet?

The one our sources put a number on is teeth: in UK vet records, Whippets had about 1.7 times the odds of periodontal disease of a crossbred dog.

Can a Whippet beat a Greyhound?

Not on published top speeds: up to 67 km/h for a Greyhound, according to Greyhound Racing Victoria, against up to 56 km/h for a Whippet, according to Britannica (overseas).

What's the difference between Whippet and Italian Greyhound?

Size and group. A Whippet stands 44 to 51 cm and is a Hound; an Italian Greyhound stands 32 to 38 cm, weighs 3.6 to 4.5 kg and is a Toy. The Italian Greyhound lives a little longer in UK data, 14.0 years against 13.4, and is prone to front leg fractures.

How much do Italian Greyhounds cost?

We found no price from Dogs Australia, a breed club or RSPCA Australia, and we do not quote breeder listings. A retired racing Greyhound costs $100 to adopt through the Queensland and Victorian programs.

How long do greyhounds live?

Greyhound Racing Victoria says 10 to 14 years. UK studies put the median at 11.4 to 11.5 years.

Do greyhounds have to wear a muzzle in Australia?

Not as pets in NSW (except in off-leash areas, unless retrained), Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia, or in Tasmania with an approved program's numbered collar. Queensland's Act does not require one, but check your council. Leads are still required in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

1. Dogs Australia. Greyhound breed standard. Last updated 2 March 2010. dogsaustralia.org.au
2. Dogs Australia. Whippet breed standard. Last updated 1 December 2018. dogsaustralia.org.au
3. Dogs Australia. Italian Greyhound breed standard. Last updated 23 January 2015. dogsaustralia.org.au
4. Greyhounds As Pets NSW. Keeping Greyhounds at a Healthy Weight. 15 February 2022. gapnsw.com.au
5. Greyhounds As Pets NSW. Adoption Day, Muswellbrook (event page with fees). gapnsw.com.au
6. Greyhound Racing Victoria, Greyhound Adoption Program. Greyhound Adoption Application (FAQ). gap.grv.org.au
7. Greyhound Racing Victoria, Greyhound Adoption Program. Feeding Your Greyhound. gap.grv.org.au
8. Greyhound Racing Victoria, Greyhound Adoption Program. Home page. gap.grv.org.au
9. Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (NSW Government). Greyhound nutrition and diet, Industry Practice Guide 1.0. gwic.nsw.gov.au
10. Greyhound Adoption Program Queensland. Frequently asked questions. Updated 15 December 2025. gapqld.com.au
11. Greyhounds As Pets SA. Greyhound Feeding Guide and Nutrition Advice. gapsa.org.au
12. Walkerville Vet, Adelaide. Broken Legs In Italian Greyhounds (blog post, updated 28 November 2020). walkervillevet.com.au
13. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. Should pet greyhounds have to wear muzzles? Updated 29 April 2022. kb.rspca.org.au
14. NSW Office of Local Government. Removal of the muzzling requirement for pet greyhounds: FAQs. innerwest.nsw.gov.au
15. Agriculture Victoria. Removal of muzzling requirements for pet greyhounds. agriculture.vic.gov.au
16. Dog and Cat Management Board, South Australia. Greyhounds. dogandcatboard.com.au
17. WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Greyhounds. dlgsc.wa.gov.au
18. Tasracing. Greyhound Un-muzzling Information. tasracing.com.au
19. Greyhound Racing NSW. Annual report reveals successes across the industry. 20 November 2025. grnsw.com.au
20. ACT Legislative Assembly. Racing (Greyhounds) Amendment Bill 2017, Explanatory Statement. legislation.act.gov.au
21. Premier of Tasmania. Work progresses on greyhound voluntary exit scheme. 1 August 2026. premier.tas.gov.au
22. Overseas (global body): World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Feeding treats to your dog, version 2. wsava.org
23. Overseas: MSD Veterinary Manual. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. msdvetmanual.com
24. Overseas (UK): O'Neill DG, Rooney NJ, Brock C, Church DB, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C. Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 2019;6:4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
25. Overseas (UK): McMillan KM, Bielby J, Williams CL, et al. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 2024;14:531. nature.com
26. Overseas (UK): O'Neill DG, Mitchell CE, Humphrey J, Church DB, Brodbelt DC, Pegram C. Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. Journal of Small Animal Practice 2021;62(12):1051-1061. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
27. Overseas (USA): Gandolfi B, Liu H, Griffioen L, Pedersen NC. Simple recessive mutation in ENAM is associated with amelogenesis imperfecta in Italian Greyhounds. Animal Genetics 2013;44(5):569-78. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
28. Overseas (Germany): Planner F, Feichtner F, Meyer-Lindenberg A. Comparative microcomputed tomographic structural analysis of the trabecular and cortical bone architecture of radius and ulna in toy dog breeds. Research in Veterinary Science 2021;136:324-335. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
29. Overseas (USA): Lord LK, et al. Results of a web-based health survey of retired racing Greyhounds. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2007;21(6):1243-50. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
30. Overseas (USA): Zaldivar-Lopez S, Marin LM, Iazbik MC, Westendorf-Stingle N, Hensley S, Couto CG. Clinical pathology of Greyhounds and other sighthounds. Veterinary Clinical Pathology 2011;40(4):414-425. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
31. Overseas (USA): Glickman LT, et al. Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2000;217(10):1492-9. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
32. Overseas (USA): Hill RC, Bloomberg MS, Legrand-Defretin V, et al. Maintenance energy requirements and the effect of diet on performance of racing Greyhounds. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2000;61(12):1566-73. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
33. Overseas (USA): American Kennel Club. Whippet. akc.org
34. Overseas (USA): American Kennel Club. Italian Greyhound. akc.org
35. Overseas: Britannica. Whippet. britannica.com

By The Huds and Toke Editorial Team, Coolum Beach, Queensland. 14 minute read. Published 16 October 2026.

Below: what the sources say about seeds, cores and skin, how much apple suits your dog's size, and a short word on horses and cats. Australian sources come first and overseas ones are marked.

In this guide: The short answer  |  Seeds  |  Core  |  Skin  |  Green or red  |  How much  |  Calculator  |  Horses  |  Questions

Apple flesh is not on the toxic food list of RSPCA Australia, which does list fruit seeds and fruit stones. Nor is apple on the toxic food list of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA, overseas), which names chocolate, macadamia nuts, onions and their relatives, grapes and dried vine fruit, xylitol, alcohol and raw yeast dough, and caffeine. The fruit the Australian Animal Poisons Helpline warns about for dogs on its home page is grapes, raisins and sultanas, which can cause kidney injury.

The overseas ASPCA Animal Poison Control page for apple does say "Toxic to Dogs", and that is the line that worries people. Read on and the toxic parts it names are the stems, leaves and seeds, which contain cyanide-forming compounds. It says nothing against the flesh.

RSPCA Australia's own treat advice includes "an appropriate and safe morsel of human food", and it says the basis of a dog's diet should be a complete commercial food suited to its life stage. A few slices of apple fit that description. A bowl of it does not.

No authority we checked makes a health claim for apples in dogs, so we will not make one either. What the figures do show is that apple is a light treat.

In the Australian Food Composition Database, 100 g of red apple with the skin on is 83.2 g of water and carries 242 kJ (about 58 kcal), 12.4 g of sugars and 2.5 g of fibre. The USDA's figures (overseas) put the fat at 0.17 g per 100 g. Gram for gram, that is under a fifth of the energy in our own Veggie Tubes, which are 320 kcal per 100 g on the label.

That is the honest case for apple: mostly water, a little sugar, almost no fat, and a crunch many dogs enjoy. It is still a treat and not a food: WSAVA says treats should never replace a meal, because every dog needs a complete and balanced diet. If your dog has a medical condition or is on a vet-prescribed diet, WSAVA advises asking your veterinary team what is suitable before giving any treat. In Australia, that means your Australian vet.

Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a natural compound that plant enzymes can break down to release hydrogen cyanide. A University of Leeds study (overseas) measured 1 to 4 mg of amygdalin per gram of seed across 15 apple varieties. In an earlier study by the same team, seeds from the rose family (Rosaceae), the plant family apples belong to, held far more than the other seeds tested: 0.1 to 17.5 mg per gram, against 0.01 to 0.2 mg for seeds from other plant families.

The overseas MSD Veterinary Manual gives the lethal dose of hydrogen cyanide for most animals as about 2 mg per kg of body weight, and notes that seeds and leaves typically hold more than the fleshy part of a fruit. It also says dogs have lower activity of the enzyme the body uses to clear cyanide than other species.

How many seeds would it take?

We did the sum from those published figures. A 10 kg dog would need about 20 mg of hydrogen cyanide to reach that lethal level. By its chemistry, each gram of amygdalin can release at most about 59 mg of hydrogen cyanide. If every seed were fully crushed and gave up all of its cyanide, that is about 85 g of apple seed at the top of the Leeds range, or about 340 g at the bottom. An Adelaide vet clinic, Walkerville Vet, weighed the seeds from seven apples at 3 g, under half a gram an apple. On that weighing, 85 g of seed is the seeds of roughly 200 apples.

Three cautions keep that number honest. It is an estimate of a lethal amount, not a safe dose, and a dog can be unwell on much less. It assumes every seed is chewed to a powder and gives up all its cyanide. And it is not a reason to feed seeds. Walkerville Vet's view is that sensible amounts of apple cores and seeds are harmless to dogs; RSPCA Australia still lists fruit seeds among the foods never to feed. We side with RSPCA. Coring an apple takes ten seconds.

So if your dog has swallowed the seeds from an apple or two, a serious poisoning is very unlikely on these figures. The signs ASPCA (overseas) lists for the cyanide in apple stems, leaves and seeds are brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock. If you see any of them, or your dog has eaten a large amount of seeds or cores, ring your Australian vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738. The Helpline is a 24/7 paid service, with consultations from $75, staffed by consultants with experience as senior emergency vets or clinical pharmacists.

The core is where the seeds and the stem are, the parts ASPCA (overseas) names as toxic. That alone is reason enough to cut it out.

We could not find a veterinary source that names apple cores as a cause of blockages in dogs, so we will not claim it. WSAVA's general advice is that any treat should be an appropriate size and shape to reduce the risk of choking. RSPCA Australia also lists "roughly-cut vegetables" among things that can be dangerous for dogs. It does not mention apple, but we cut apple the same way: thin slices, core out.

If your dog has stolen a whole core, watch them, and ring your Australian vet if anything seems wrong.

Yes. Skin is not one of the parts ASPCA lists as toxic. Peeling makes little difference to the numbers: in the Australian food data, red apple is 242 kJ per 100 g with or without the skin, and sugars go from 12.4 g to 12.7 g. What peeling does remove is fibre, which drops from 2.5 g to 1.8 g. Wash it as you would for yourself and leave it on.

Yes, the same rules apply: core out, seeds out, small amounts. Green apples are slightly lighter. In the Australian food data, Granny Smith is 208 kJ and 10.6 g of sugars per 100 g, against 242 kJ and 12.4 g for red apple. The difference is small enough that the best apple for your dog is the one already in your fruit bowl.

If it is a Pink Lady, it is the most common apple in the country: the growers' body Aussie Apples says the Cripps Pink variety is now the most widely grown nationally, at close to a third of production. Picking runs from February to June, and growers keep apples in cold storage with a controlled atmosphere between harvests. Queensland's apples all come from the Granite Belt around Stanthorpe.

The working rule is WSAVA's (overseas): treats should make up less than 10% of a dog's daily calories, and that 10% covers every treat, apple included. We found no Australian authority that publishes its own version of the rule.

WSAVA's table gives a 10 kg adult dog 47 kcal of treats a day. As fresh red apple, that is about 81 g, around half of a medium apple, if nothing else were given as a treat.

Most dogs get other treats as well, so the calculator below lets you set how much of the day's allowance goes to apple. It also works out your dog's daily calories from weight and life stage, rather than using WSAVA's single table.

Can puppies eat apples?

Puppies need the same care with seeds: RSPCA Australia's puppy feeding page repeats fruit seeds and fruit stones on its list of foods not to feed. Puppies also need more energy for their size: the MSD manual puts them at 3 times resting energy under 4 months and 2 times after that, which the calculator uses. A puppy's diet should be built on a complete puppy food. A sliver of apple is a treat, nothing more, and your Australian vet is the person to ask about a young puppy.

Dried apple, apple sauce and apple cider vinegar

Dried apple is a different treat. In the Australian food data it is 1,078 kJ and 59.4 g of sugars per 100 g, between four and five times fresh red apple, gram for gram, because the water has gone. The USDA's figure (overseas) for dried apple is close, at 243 kcal and 57.19 g of sugars per 100 g. By our sums, 10 g of dried apple is about 26 kcal, more than half of WSAVA's daily treat ceiling for a 10 kg dog. So: a piece or two, not a handful.

Unsweetened apple sauce is lighter, at 42 kcal and 9.39 g of sugars per 100 g in the USDA's data (overseas). Read the label of anything sold as sugar free, because xylitol is on WSAVA's list of foods toxic to dogs.

On apple cider vinegar we found no reliable veterinary source either way, so we make no claim for it. It is an ingredient in 14 of our in-stock treats, there for the recipe rather than as a health claim.

Windfalls and rotten apples

Fallen apples under a backyard tree are the real hazard. RSPCA Australia lists mouldy or spoiled food and compost as toxic to dogs. Rotting apples can also make alcohol: a peer-reviewed review from Italy lists rotten apples among the reported causes of ethanol poisoning in dogs. In one published case, described in a review by an ASPCA toxicologist (overseas), a dog that ate a large amount of rotten apples had vomiting, wobbliness, tremors and dehydration, and died 48 hours later. ASPCA adds that apple leaves and stems are particularly toxic while wilting. Pick up windfalls, fence off the compost, and keep fallen leaves raked in autumn.

Yes, cut up. Texas A&M's vet school (overseas) says apples should be cut into pieces because a whole apple is the right size to lodge in a horse's oesophagus and cause choke. Penn State Extension (overseas) also says to cut apples into slices, and that this matters especially for older horses, whose teeth decline.

Can you give whole apples to horses?

No. Both of those vet and university sources say to cut them up first, and choke means food stuck in the horse's oesophagus so that it cannot swallow food or water.

How many apples a day can you give a horse?

We found no Australian source with a number. The only figure we found, from Penn State Extension (overseas), says to consider the weight of your horse or pony, but that one to two is generally acceptable, without saying one to two of what or how often. Texas A&M's advice is to keep apple an infrequent, unexpected reward.

What fruits should horses not eat?

For horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), the European ECEIM consensus statement says fruit and vegetables such as carrots and apples, and treats, should be left out of the diet because of their sugar and starch content. The MSD manual (overseas) says that for every horse with EMS, treats should be eliminated. Our position is the same: horses with EMS, PPID or laminitis get no treats, ours included. ASPCA's horse plant list (overseas) includes apple too, for the stems, leaves and seeds.

RSPCA Australia puts the sugar problem simply: most horses will choose high sugar feed if given the chance, and it is much better for a horse to eat lots of low calorie food than a little high calorie food. Its laminitis page says fat ponies and their crosses are most predisposed, and that over-feeding fat ponies is a very common cause, particularly in spring after rain.

For more on sugar in horse treats, see our guides to molasses for horses and treats for laminitic horses, or browse our horse treats.

A taste of plain flesh is not on the toxic lists, but the same parts apply: ASPCA (overseas) lists apple as toxic to cats for its stems, leaves and seeds, and RSPCA Australia puts fruit seeds and fruit stones on its list of foods not to feed cats. RSPCA adds that other foods should only be occasional treats, not the main part of the diet. We found no source saying cats benefit from apple. For cats, our cat treats are a better bet.

Three of our treats list real apple as an ingredient, not only apple cider vinegar.

Veggie Tubes. Vegetarian training treats. The label lists: Whole Flour, Oats, Rice, Australian Apple, Australian Carrot, Corn, Australian Beetroot, Apple Cider Vinegar, Turmeric, Natural Colour. They are 3.34% fat and 320 kcal per 100 g, and they sit in our low fat dog treats range. Small pieces suit training.

Golden Paws. Grain-free cookies. The label lists: Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Protein, Coconut Flour, Canola Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Apple, Cheese Powder, Turmeric and Black Pepper. They are 375 kcal per 100 g, so they count against the same 10% allowance as apple does.

Calm O's. A horse treat made with whole apple. The label lists: Whole Wheat Flour, L-Tyrosine, Whole Apple, L-Theanine, Sugar, Canola Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, Tapioca Starch. Because the label lists sugar, they are, like every treat, not for horses with EMS or laminitis.

More plant-based options are in our vegetable based dog treats, and our guide to Aussie foods for dogs ranks other things from the pantry.

Can dogs have apples?

Yes, as a small treat with the core and seeds removed. RSPCA Australia lists fruit seeds, not apple flesh, as toxic to dogs.

Can dogs eat apple middle?

Cut it out. The middle holds the seeds and stem, which ASPCA (overseas) names as the toxic parts of the apple.

What will happen if my dog ate apple seeds?

A few swallowed seeds are very unlikely to poison a dog: by our arithmetic from published figures, a 10 kg dog would need about 85 g or more of fully chewed seed to reach the published lethal dose of cyanide, and one apple holds under half a gram. That is not a safe dose: a dog can be unwell on less. If your dog ate a lot, or seems unwell, ring your Australian vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738.

Are any fruits toxic to dogs?

Yes. The Animal Poisons Helpline warns that grapes, raisins and sultanas can cause kidney injury in dogs, and RSPCA Australia lists fruit seeds and stones such as mango seeds and apricot and avocado stones.

Is apple good for dogs?

No authority we checked makes a health claim for it. Fresh apple is mostly water and low in energy, about 58 kcal per 100 g for red apple, so it makes a light treat.

Can you give whole apples to horses?

No. Texas A&M's vet school (overseas) says a whole apple can lodge in a horse's oesophagus, so cut it into pieces.

How many apples a day can you give a horse?

We found no Australian figure. Penn State Extension (overseas) says one to two is generally acceptable, depending on the horse's weight, without saying how often. Horses with EMS or laminitis should have none.

What fruits should horses not eat?

For horses with EMS, the ECEIM consensus says fruit, including apples, should be left out of the diet. ASPCA (overseas) lists apple stems, leaves and seeds as toxic to horses.

1. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What should I feed my dog? kb.rspca.org.au
2. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What should I know before feeding dog treats? Updated 11 December 2023. kb.rspca.org.au
3. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What should I feed my puppy? kb.rspca.org.au
4. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What should I feed my cat? kb.rspca.org.au
5. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What should I feed my horse? kb.rspca.org.au
6. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What is laminitis, and how can it be prevented or treated? kb.rspca.org.au
7. Animal Poisons Helpline (Australia). Home page. animalpoisons.com.au
8. Animal Poisons Helpline (Australia). About us. animalpoisons.com.au
9. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3, nutrient profiles per 100 g. foodstandards.gov.au
10. Aussie Apples (Apple and Pear Australia Ltd). About. aussieapples.com.au
11. Walkerville Vet, Adelaide. Relax, Dogs CAN Eat Apple Cores & Seeds! (blog post, updated 28 November 2020). walkervillevet.com.au
12. Overseas (global body): World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Feeding treats to your dog, version 2. wsava.org
13. Overseas (USA): ASPCA Animal Poison Control. Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Apple. aspca.org
14. Overseas (USA): ASPCA Animal Poison Control. Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List: Horses. aspca.org
15. Overseas (UK): Bolarinwa IF, Orfila C, Morgan MR. Determination of amygdalin in apple seeds, fresh apples and processed apple juices. Food Chemistry 2015;170:437-42. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
16. Overseas (UK): Bolarinwa IF, Orfila C, Morgan MR. Amygdalin content of seeds, kernels and food products commercially-available in the UK. Food Chemistry 2014;152:133-9. Read as the PubMed abstract. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
17. Overseas: MSD Veterinary Manual. Cyanide Poisoning in Animals. msdvetmanual.com
18. Overseas: MSD Veterinary Manual. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. msdvetmanual.com
19. Overseas (USA): US Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. FDC ID 171688, Apples, raw, with skin. fdc.nal.usda.gov
20. Overseas (USA): US Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. FDC ID 171691, Apples, dried, sulfured, uncooked. fdc.nal.usda.gov
21. Overseas (USA): US Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. FDC ID 171695, Applesauce, canned, unsweetened. fdc.nal.usda.gov
22. Overseas (USA): Wismer T. Ethanol Toxicosis: A Review. Today's Veterinary Practice, 2017. todaysveterinarypractice.com
23. Overseas (Italy): Cortinovis C, Caloni F. Household Food Items Toxic to Dogs and Cats. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2016. DOI 10.3389/fvets.2016.00026. frontiersin.org
24. Overseas (USA): Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Pet Talk: Trick or Treat, give me something good to eat! vetmed.tamu.edu
25. Overseas (USA): Penn State Extension. Trick or Treat: Things to Think About when Giving Your Horse a Treat. Updated 14 August 2026. extension.psu.edu
26. Overseas (Europe): Durham AE, Frank N, McGowan CM, et al. ECEIM consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2019. DOI 10.1111/jvim.15423. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
27. Overseas: MSD Veterinary Manual. Equine Metabolic Syndrome. msdvetmanual.com

Plain icing is almost pure sugar, and a dog has no use for it. The bigger risks sit around it: "sugar free" icing that can hide xylitol, which is dangerous to dogs, and the fat and kilojoules that pile up when a whole shortbread biscuit is iced or dipped. A cookie baked for dogs, with a frosting designed for dogs, avoids all three.

We should say plainly where we stand. Huds and Toke has been baking dog cookies on Queensland's Sunshine Coast for more than a decade, so we have a dog in this fight. We are not veterinarians. Every figure about our own cookies below is printed on our labels, every other figure links to the source it came from, and where the evidence runs out, we say so rather than stretch it.

Is icing safe for dogs?

Plain sugar icing is not toxic to dogs, but it isn't food a dog needs either. A lick of birthday cake icing is not an emergency. The problems are what icing is made of, what it is often spread on, and what "sugar free" versions can contain.

Sugar icing: not poisonous, just sugar

The classic hard white icing on biscuits and cakes is royal icing, which Wikipedia describes as a hard white icing "made from softly beaten egg whites, icing sugar (powdered sugar), and sometimes lemon or lime juice". Icing sugar is, as you would expect, sugar. Australia's food composition database, run by Food Standards Australia New Zealand, lists white icing sugar at 100 g of sugars per 100 g. Once a royal icing sets and the egg white's water has gone, our own calculation from the standard recipe puts it at about 97 to 98% sugar by weight.

Does a dog need that? The US-based MSD Veterinary Manual is clear that "dietary carbohydrates are not considered essential nutrients in the diet for adult, nonreproducing dogs and cats". The same chapter adds that "an overload of simple sugars in the GI tract may cause adverse changes in intestinal metabolism, including osmotic diarrhea and flatulence". RSPCA Australia makes a related point, noting that sugary foods "can be associated with metabolic diseases when fed in excess".

The "sugar free" icing trap: xylitol

This is the one that matters most. Xylitol is a sweetener used in place of sugar, and it is dangerous to dogs. Australia's Animal Poisons Helpline puts it bluntly: "Xylitol is a particularly common sugar substitute but unfortunately it can be deadly to dogs." Its list of where xylitol turns up includes "Any baked good (cakes, muffins, cookies, pastries, etc) where xylitol is substituted for sugar".

RSPCA Australia explains why: "xylitol is metabolised differently by dogs", and the resulting hypoglycaemia "can lead to seizures and even death. In some dogs, xylitol consumption causes liver failure and clotting problems". The Helpline also notes it can be labelled "birch sugar or sometimes written as E967". So never treat a human "sugar free" icing, frosting or cookie as a dog-safe swap until you have checked the label for xylitol.

What else hides in human icing and decorations

Butter and cream cheese frostings add a lot of fat. Chocolate icing and chocolate-flavoured coatings contain cocoa, and RSPCA Australia says theobromine in cocoa "is toxic to dogs and other animals at certain doses". Some cheaper coatings are "compound chocolate", which still contains cocoa, so a brown coating is not automatically carob. Our guide on whether dogs can eat carob covers the carob and chocolate difference in detail.

What dog-safe frosting looks like

A frosting made for dogs starts from a different question. Not "how do we make this glossy and sweet?" but "what can sit on a dog biscuit, hold its shape in an Australian summer, and add nothing a dog doesn't need?" Ours is built from low-fat yoghurt powder and carob powder, among some other proprietary ingredients, and the label reads "No added salt, sugar or preservatives". More on exactly what that means, including the honest caveats, further down.

Two very different things sold as a "dog cookie"

The difference isn't the look. It is which species the recipe was written for. One cookie starts from the dog and works backwards. The other starts from the human bakery, gets shaped like a bone, and is given a coat.

The cookie baked for dogs

It begins with a flour dogs digest well, a flavour dogs love, and just enough moisture to bind the dough. RSPCA Australia notes that dogs have evolved from their wolf ancestors, "including developing an ability to digest starch and fat", and MSD reports that dogs digest properly cooked starches "with > 90% efficiency". Researchers in Sweden have tied that ability to extra copies of the pancreatic amylase gene, AMY2B, which varies between breeds and individual dogs. A well-baked flour is a sensible base. Added sugar is not needed.

The shortbread-style biscuit with a coat

Shortbread is traditionally made from "one part white sugar, two parts butter and three to four parts plain wheat flour". Australia's food composition database describes commercial shortbread-style biscuits as ones where "Ingredients may include butter, wheat flour, sugar and rice flour", and measures them at 26.3 g of fat and 20.4 g of sugars per 100 g. Cut that into a bone, then ice it or dip it, and the coat adds a second layer of sugar, fat or both.

To be fair to everyone, not every iced dog biscuit is shortbread underneath, and some small bakeries use sugar-free icings too. The point is not that one category is always bad. It is that the look of a cookie tells you nothing, and the label tells you nearly everything.

Plus, if a label doesn't tell you where the cookie is made, for example "Australian Made", you can't be sure where it comes from. If it says "packed for" or "Packaged in Australia" and doesn't say it is Australian Made, there are further questions you should be asking.

What icing and coatings are actually made of

There are two common coats on a decorated biscuit: sugar icing, and a "compound coating" of sugar, hard vegetable fat and milk solids. Both are designed to look good and last on a shelf. Neither was designed around a dog.

What is a compound coating?

A compound coating is the glossy, snappy coat you see on a lot of confectionery. Wikipedia's entry on compound chocolate explains that it uses "less-expensive hard vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil in place of the more expensive cocoa butter". Yoghurt and carob versions work on the same principle, with milk solids or carob in place of cocoa.

The US Department of Agriculture's composition database gives a sense of what that means per 100 g. A yoghurt confectioner's coating is 62.4 g sugars and 27.0 g fat. A carob confection, despite being labelled "unsweetened" in the database, is 34.1 g sugars and 31.4 g fat, and 29.0 g of that fat is saturated. These are generic US reference values, not measurements of any Australian product, but they show why a coat is rarely a light touch.

Is palm kernel oil bad for dogs?

It isn't toxic. It is simply a very saturated, very energy-dense fat. Palm kernel oil "is semi-solid at room temperature" and is "more saturated than palm oil", and USDA figures put it at 81.5 g of saturated fat per 100 g, against 51.4 g in salted butter. Being semi-solid at room temperature is also why fat-based coatings soften and smudge on a hot Australian day.

Side by side: a cookie baked for dogs vs iced shortbread

On the numbers, the cookie baked for dogs carries less than half the fat, about twice the protein, and fewer kilocalories per 100 g. Our figures are from our own label. The shortbread figures are from Australia's food composition database, and the iced and coated versions are our estimates, built from that data and the USDA's.

Why "dog basis"? Human food databases calculate energy one way. Pet food labels state metabolisable energy, usually calculated with the "modified Atwater" factors, which give lower numbers for the same food. Comparing our 359 kcal label against the database's 2110 kJ (about 504 kcal) for shortbread would exaggerate the gap, so every estimate in the chart and table is calculated the way pet labels usually are. On the database's own human basis, shortbread with a carob-style coating comes out at about 515 kcal per 100 g.

One honest limit. This comparison holds against shortbread-style, butter-rich biscuits. A plain hard-baked dog biscuit with a thin dip can be lower in energy than ours, so we are not claiming our cookies are lower in kilojoules than every decorated treat on the shelf. The fat difference against shortbread is the most robust finding, and it is large.

Why the fat and sugar matter to a dog

The Australian Veterinary Association states that "Almost half of dogs and one third of cats in Australia are overweight or obese". That figure traces back to a University of Sydney-led study of 2,661 dogs seen at Australian vet clinics, published in 2005, which found 41 per cent were overweight or obese.

It is also largely in our hands. In a University of Melbourne survey of 153 Victorian vet practices, vets felt 97% of cases came down to human factors "such as diet, exercise and owner attitudes". RSPCA Australia warns that "obesity can lead to other serious health complications such as heart failure and diabetes".

Rich, fatty food and pancreatitis

Fat matters for another reason. The AVA describes pancreatitis as a condition "which often occurs as a result of eating rich, high-fat foods", and RSPCA Australia notes that feeding fat trimmings "may be associated with the development of pancreatitis". The research picture is more complicated than "fat causes pancreatitis", and the MSD Veterinary Manual says that "For most cases of pancreatitis no specific cause can be identified". We are not suggesting a shortbread biscuit causes it. We are saying vets consistently link rich, fatty food with it, and a cookie doesn't need to be rich to be loved.

Dogs can taste sweet, which is exactly the problem

Unlike cats, dogs have a working sweet taste receptor. A 2005 genetics study found that "dogs have a human-like T1R2 structure" and "an avidity for sweet carbohydrates", while cats have lost the gene. An older study of young beagles found that "Lactose, fructose, and sucrose were well accepted". This means that sugar can make a treat more appealing to a dog, even though it is unhealthy for them. That is palatability, not nutrition, and not in the dog's best interest. It is why a recipe built for dogs should earn its enthusiasm with other ingredients, chosen with the health of the dog in mind, not the ease of manufacture.

What about teeth?

Here we want to be careful, because this is where a lot of articles overclaim. Cavities are uncommon in dogs. In one Canadian veterinary dentist's patient records, "5.25% of adult canine patients had one or more caries lesion", and the same author notes a diet "high in highly refined and easily fermentable carbohydrates will favor the development of caries". An Australian veterinary dental practice puts it practically: "Sticky foods cling to teeth and promote bacterial growth." In dogs, gum disease is the bigger issue. Our read: sugar is not doing your dog's teeth any favours, because the higher the sugar and fat content, the softer the cookie, and a soft cookie made to look like a dog treat is a problem for the reasons above. Hard chews, including hard cookies made for dogs, along with brushing, are ideal for a doggy dental plan.

Inside a Huds and Toke frosted cookie, ingredient by ingredient

Straight off the label, in the order it is printed. This is the recipe shared by our frosted range, including our Sparkle Cookies, Frosted Doggy Bones, Freckle Cookies and Doggy Donuts. Every recipe in our bakery is written for dogs, not adapted from a human one.

The label reads "No added salt, sugar or preservatives", with 12% crude protein, 10% crude fat and 359 kcal per 100 g. It is also built to hold its shape in warm weather, which is the thinking behind our no-melt frosting. It won't smudge on your carpet, lose its shape in hot weather or leave stains on your clothes.

The frosted range

Cookies designed for dogs

Our cookies are hard baked for dental benefits, with a hard, no-melt frosting that makes them look awesome in photos, protects you from nasty stains from smudging and melting, and gives your dog an extra crunch. Plus, it's fun to have pretty things!

Frosted

Small Woof Bone

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

See the cookie

Frosted

Doggy Vovo

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Frosted

Frosted Doggy Bones

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Donut

Big Doggy Donuts

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Small dogs

Little Doggy Donuts

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Frosted

Little Love Heart Cookies

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Frosted

Magic Sprinkle Bones

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Birthdays

Birthday Present Cookie

12% protein, 10% fat, 359 kcal per 100 g on the label. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Prefer no frosting at all? Our peanut butter cookies use the same dog-first base with nothing on top: whole wheat flour, xylitol-free peanut butter, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, potato and tapioca starch and bicarbonate soda.

No frosting at all

Peanut butter cookies, nothing on top

The same dog-first base, baked plain. The simplest cookies we make.

No frosting

Nutty Paws

Whole wheat flour, xylitol-free peanut butter, canola oil, apple cider vinegar. 12% protein, 10% fat.

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Carob

Nutty Carob Paws

The same peanut butter base with carob powder baked in. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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Bulk

Nutty Bone Cookies 1 kg

Hard-baked peanut butter bones, about 75 to the kilo. No added salt, sugar or preservatives.

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How much cookie can my dog have?

Treats of every kind should stay under 10% of your dog's daily calories. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association's Global Nutrition Committee says "Treats should always make up less than 10% of a dog's daily calorie intake." Its guide suggests about 47 kcal of treats a day for an average healthy 10 kg adult dog.

That chart turns the WSAVA figures into grams. A 10 kg dog's daily pet treat allowance is about 13 g of our frosted cookie, or about 10 g of shortbread with a carob-style coating. Put another way, the same allowance buys about 30% more of the cookie baked for dogs. You can always manage your dog's intake by breaking larger cookies into pieces and sharing them over a few days.

If you like doing the maths yourself, MSD calculates a dog's resting energy requirement as 70 multiplied by its body weight in kilograms raised to the power of 0.75, and lists 1.6 times that figure for a neutered (desexed) adult. For a 10 kg dog that is about 630 kcal a day, and 10% is about 63 kcal, a little more generous than WSAVA's table. MSD also notes that any given animal may need "as much as 30% more or less of the calories calculated". Your Australian vet can give you the right number for your own dog.

How to read a dog treat label in 60 seconds

Turn the packet over and check seven things: the first ingredients, sugar, fat, sweeteners, salt, the analysis panel and who made it. It takes about a minute, and it tells you far more than the photo on the front.

1. Read the first three ingredients. Many Australian pet food labels are written to Australian Standard AS 5812, and the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia says "The Standard advises that pet food labels list the ingredients (with the exception of water) in descending order (by weight)". The first few ingredients are what the treat mostly is.
2. Look for sugar under its other names. Australia's food code, which applies to human food but makes a handy checklist, counts dextrose, glucose syrups, maltodextrin, molasses and icing sugar among its "sugars". Honey is another common one.
3. Find the fat. Palm kernel oil, vegetable fat, hydrogenated oil or butter sitting high on the list, next to sugar, usually means a coating or a shortbread base.
4. Check the sweetener. Xylitol, birch sugar or E967 means put it back. It is poisonous to dogs.
5. Look for added salt. Check whether salt appears in the ingredient list, and compare the salt figure on the analysis panel if there is one.
6. Read the analysis panel. Compare crude fat and kcal per 100 g, not per pack or per piece. Pieces vary wildly in size.
7. See who made it, and where. A maker's name and an Australian contact address you can actually reach are a good sign.

When a wheat cookie isn't the right cookie

Our frosted cookies are made with whole wheat flour and yoghurt powder, so they are not the answer for a dog with a diagnosed wheat or dairy allergy. Worth keeping in proportion, though. An international review found that among dogs presented to a vet for any reason, the prevalence of food allergy affecting the skin was "1 to 2%". Among 297 dogs that already had a diagnosed food allergy, the most commonly reported triggers were beef (34%), dairy (17%), chicken (15%) and wheat (13%).

That is 13% of allergic dogs, not 13% of all dogs. It is also worth noticing that shortbread contains both wheat and butter, so it is no escape from either. If your vet has confirmed a wheat allergy, our grain-free dog treats and wheat-free range are worth a look, but check every ingredient with your vet first, because some grain-free recipes still include dairy or cheese.

No wheat in the recipe

Grain-free cookies

Made without grains. If your dog has a diagnosed allergy, check every ingredient on the label with your vet first.

Grain free

Grain Free Big Doggy Donuts

Tapioca, peanut butter, vegetable protein, coconut flour, flaxseed. 21% protein, 11% fat.

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Grain free

Golden Paws

Tapioca, coconut flour, apple, cheese powder, turmeric. 11.6% protein, 9.9% fat.

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Grain free

Omega Paws

Tapioca, coconut flour, whole mackerel, chia seeds and beetroot. 14.5% protein, 12.8% fat.

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Want something with a little more going on? Our hemp cookies use wholemeal flour and hemp seed meal with real mackerel and spinach, or turkey, chicken and turmeric.

Something different

Hemp seed cookies with real fish or meat

Wholemeal flour and hemp seed meal with mackerel and spinach, or turkey, chicken and turmeric. No added salt, sugar or preservatives on the label.

Hemp

Hemp Cookies, Mackerel and Spinach

Wholemeal flour, hemp seed meal, mackerel, spinach. 14.6% protein, 9.2% fat.

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Hemp

Hemp Cookies, Turkey and Turmeric

Wholemeal flour, hemp seed meal, turkey and chicken meat, turmeric. 13.4% protein, 8% fat.

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Birthdays, gift boxes and celebration cookies

A decorated cookie is celebration food, and that is exactly how we'd like you to use ours. Birthdays, gotcha days, Christmas stockings, a thank-you for the dog walker. The point of baking them for dogs is that a special day doesn't have to come with a shortbread-sized helping of fat and sugar.

A few tips from our kitchen. Break big cookies into pieces for small dogs. Count the cookie in the day's treat budget. At a dog party, keep the human cake well out of reach, and our dog birthday party guide has the rest. The University of Sydney's Dr Anne Fawcett warns that "A sudden influx of fatty festive foods can wreak havoc on their gut", which is worth remembering every December.

For celebrations

Gift boxes of cookies baked for dogs

Hand-decorated cookies boxed for birthdays, gotcha days and thank-yous. Same dog-formulated base inside.

Gift

Pink Mixed Cookies Gift Box

Four hand-decorated cookies in a clear gift box, all on the same dog-formulated base.

See the gift box

Gift

Pastel Little Doggy Donuts Gift Box

Six little donuts in pastel frosting, sized for small mouths.

See the gift box

Gift

Love and Hearts Gift Box

Heart and bone cookies for Valentine's, gotcha days and thank-yous.

See the gift box

For more gifting ideas, see our guide to dog gift boxes and hampers, or browse the full dog bakery and dog birthday cakes.

Is icing safe for dogs? Your questions answered

The questions we're asked most, answered short. If your dog has eaten something with xylitol or a lot of chocolate, stop reading and ring your Australian vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738.

The last word

From across the room, a frosted cookie baked for dogs and an iced shortbread look almost identical. The difference is underneath: which species the recipe was written for. One is a wholemeal, peanut butter biscuit with a yoghurt and carob frosting and no added sugar, salt or preservatives, baked firm to help with dental benefits. The other is sugar, butter and flour with more sugar, or sugar and hard fat, poured over the top, and soft to chew, which does not provide any benefits for your dog's dental health. Your dog will happily eat either. Only one of them was made with your dog in mind.

Whichever you buy, read the label, skip anything with xylitol, count every cookie in the day's treats, and check with your Australian vet if your dog has a weight, pancreas or allergy concern.

Plus, where you can, be sure the label says "Made in Australia". This gives you confidence in the quality and helps Australian businesses, which are run by people. So it helps people as well as their pets!

References

1. Australian Veterinary Association, Vet Voice. Obesity in Australian pets. vetvoice.com.au
2. Australian Veterinary Association, Vet Voice (2019). What not to feed your dog. vetvoice.com.au
3. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What are common household dangers for pets? kb.rspca.org.au
4. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. What should I feed my dog? kb.rspca.org.au
5. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. How do I tell if my dog is overweight? kb.rspca.org.au
6. RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. Why is chocolate toxic to dogs and other animals? kb.rspca.org.au
7. RSPCA Australia. Spring cleaning? 6 pet dangers to throw out and avoid. rspca.org.au
8. Animal Poisons Helpline (2021). Xylitol, ABCs of poisons. animalpoisons.com.au
9. Animal Poisons Helpline (2022). The Xylitol Project. animalpoisons.com.au
10. McGreevy PD, Thomson PC, Pride C, Fawcett A, Grassi T, Jones B (2005). Prevalence of obesity in dogs examined by Australian veterinary practices and the risk factors involved. Veterinary Record 156(22):695-702. PubMed
11. Bland IM et al (2010). Dog obesity: veterinary practices' and owners' opinions on cause and management. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 94:310-315. PubMed
12. University of Sydney (2017). Three reasons you shouldn't feed Christmas ham to your dog. sydney.edu.au
13. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database: F001244 Biscuit, sweet, shortbread style, commercial; F008980 Sugar, white, icing. F001244, F008980
14. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Sugar. foodstandards.gov.au
15. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2021). Review of nutrition labelling for added sugars, Appendix 1. PDF
16. Pet Food Industry Association of Australia. Understanding pet food labels. pfiaa.com.au
17. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Pet food safety. agriculture.gov.au
18. Advanced Animal Dentistry (Australia). Pet diet and oral health. animaldental.com.au
19. Sanderson SL. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. MSD Veterinary Manual (overseas). msdvetmanual.com
20. Steiner JM. Pancreatitis and Other Disorders of the Pancreas in Dogs. MSD Veterinary Manual (overseas). msdvetmanual.com
21. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee (2024). Feeding treats to your dog (international). PDF
22. Li X et al (2005). Pseudogenization of a sweet-receptor gene accounts for cats' indifference toward sugar. PLoS Genetics 1(1):e3 (overseas). PLoS
23. Ferrell F (1984). Preference for sugars and nonnutritive sweeteners in young beagles. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 8(2):199-203 (overseas). PubMed
24. Arendt M, Fall T, Lindblad-Toh K, Axelsson E (2014). Amylase activity is associated with AMY2B copy numbers in dog. Animal Genetics 45(5):716-722 (overseas). PubMed
25. Hale FA (2009). Dental caries in the dog. Canadian Veterinary Journal 50(12):1301-1304 (overseas). PMC
26. Olivry T, Mueller RS (2017). Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (3): prevalence of cutaneous adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 13:51 (overseas). PubMed
27. Mueller RS, Olivry T, Prélaud P (2016). Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Veterinary Research 12:9 (overseas). PMC
28. US Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central (overseas): 167569 confectioner's coating, yogurt; 167973 carob candy; 171422 palm kernel oil; 173410 butter, salted; 173755 carob flour; 172183 egg white. 167569, 167973, 171422, 173410, 173755, 172183
29. Wikipedia. Shortbread; Royal icing; Compound chocolate; Palm kernel oil; Xylitol. Shortbread, Royal icing, Compound chocolate, Palm kernel oil, Xylitol
30. Huds and Toke product labels: Carob and Yoghurt Frosted Sparkle Cookies, Nutty Paws Dog Cookies (accessed 17 September 2026). Sparkle Cookies, Nutty Paws

By The Huds and Toke Editorial Team, Coolum Beach, Queensland. 35 minute read. Updated October 2026.

In this guide: Side by side  |  Clydesdale  |  Shire horse  |  Percheron  |  How many treats  |  Calculator  |  Treats by job  |  PSSM and sugar  |  Feather and legs  |  Heat and salt  |  Turmeric  |  Birthdays and Christmas  |  Where to see them  |  FAQ

We make horse treats for a living, and one assumption follows big horses everywhere: he's a Clydie cross, he's enormous, he must need them by the bucket. He does not. The size of the horse changes the handling and it changes a few health risks. It barely changes the treat.

Before we get to the feed room, it helps to know which horse you are actually looking at. Plenty of Australians call anything with hairy feet a Clydesdale. Plenty of them are. Some are not.

Clydesdale

Scotland's farm horse, and the heavy horse Australia knows best.

Height	17 to 18 hands
Weight	800 to 1,000 kg
Look for	White blaze, white feathered legs

Shire horse

England's Great Horse. The largest of the three by its own breed standard, and very rare here.

Height	Typically 18 hands
Weight	About 900 kg
Look for	Sheer height, fine silky feather

Percheron

The French grey with clean legs and Arabian blood a long way back.

Height	Mostly 16.2 to 17.3 hands
Weight	About 860 kg
Look for	Grey or black, no feather

Photos, left to right: Bonnie U. Gruenberg on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Martin Pettitt on Flickr, CC BY 2.0; Eponimm on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. All cropped.

Every figure in this table comes from a breed society or a rare breeds register, and the Australian one is used wherever it exists. Where the Australian standard is silent (it gives no weight or colour list for the Clydesdale and no weight for the Percheron), the figure is from an overseas society or register listed under the table.

How to tell a Clydesdale, a Shire and a Percheron apart

Start at the feet and work up.

• Of these three, clean legs mean Percheron. The Australian breed standard asks for grey or black with a minimum of white, and the association describes legs “clean and free from long hair”. If the horse is a dappled grey with no feather at all, you are almost certainly looking at a Percheron or a Percheron cross.
• A white blaze and four white, feathered legs usually mean Clydesdale. The UK society calls it the exception to see a Clydesdale without a white blaze and a considerable amount of white on the feet and legs. Bay is the classic coat.
• Height and finer, sparser feather point to a Shire. Shires are black, brown, bay or grey, the Australian standard puts the typical horse at 18 hands, and the modern Shire carries less feather than it once did, with fine hair down the back of the cannon and above the foot.

And then the honest bit. A bay Shire with white socks and a big Clydesdale gelding can fool people who have owned both. When it matters, the papers settle it.

Is a Shire horse bigger than a Clydesdale?

Usually, yes, but not by much. Shire Horse Society Australia puts the typical Shire at 18 hands and about 900 kg, and says plainly that of all the heavy horses the Shire is the largest. The UK Clydesdale Horse Society says a Clydesdale will normally stand between 17 and 18 hands. On weight, the UK's Rare Breeds Survival Trust gives the Shire 850 to 1,100 kg and the Clydesdale 800 to 1,000 kg. On those published figures the typical Shire has a few centimetres and perhaps 50 to 100 kg on the typical Clydesdale. The ranges overlap heavily, and a big Clydesdale gelding will look down on a small Shire mare.

Is a Percheron bigger than a Clydesdale?

Not taller, and on the published figures about as heavy, which makes it the stockier horse. Most Percherons stand between 16.2 and 17.3 hands according to the Percheron Horse Association of America, which is a touch under the Clydesdale's 17 to 18. The same association puts the average Percheron at around 1,900 pounds (about 860 kg) and the biggest at up to 2,600 pounds (about 1,180 kg). Think of the Percheron as the shorter, wider one: deep through the body, heavily muscled, on clean legs.

What is the biggest horse breed?

The Shire, going by the record books. We could not find a source that measures breed averages against each other, so the fair way to answer is with the records. Guinness World Records lists the tallest and heaviest horse ever documented as a Shire gelding named Sampson, later renamed Mammoth, foaled in Bedfordshire in 1846. He measured 21.25 hands in 1850, which is 7 feet 2.5 inches or 2.19 m at the wither, and was later said to have weighed 1,524 kg.

The tallest living horse is a Shire as well: Hugo, from Northamptonshire, who was four when he was measured at 199 cm in December 2025. Until 2021 that record belonged to a Belgian gelding called Big Jake, at 20 hands 2.75 inches (210.19 cm), which is why older articles still name the Belgian. So no, the Clydesdale is not the biggest horse breed. It is the best known one.

What is the difference between a draught horse and a regular horse?

A draught horse (Americans spell it draft horse) was bred to pull, not to carry a rider at speed. That means more bone, more muscle and a calmer head. The Australian Percheron standard describes “a heavy cold-blood horse, possessing great muscular development and ample bone”, and cold blood is the horseman's term for the whole group: the opposite end of the scale from the hot-blooded Thoroughbred and Arabian. A Thoroughbred of 500 kg and a Shire of 900 kg are the same species with very different jobs.

The Clydesdale comes from Lanarkshire in Scotland. Clydesdale is the old name for the district, and the breed's parent body, the UK Clydesdale Horse Society, dates the breed to the middle of the 1700s, when the native horses of Lanarkshire were graded up with Flemish stallions for more weight and substance. What came out was a tall, free-moving farm horse with a lot of white on it.

You know one when it walks away from you. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia describes a distinctive movement, lifting each foot clear so that the sole can be seen from behind. Add the white blaze, the white stockings and the long, straight feather, and it is the horse most Australians picture when they hear the words draught horse.

Are there Clydesdales in Australia?

Yes, and they have been here a long time. The Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society records that heavy horse breeding took off here in the 1850s, after gold was found in New South Wales and Victoria, and that the Clydesdale came to the front in Queensland in or about 1855. The Scottish society notes that between 1850 and 1880 a large number of its best stallions were shipped out every year, mainly to Australia and New Zealand.

It is often called the horse that built a nation, which is also the title of a 2007 Australian documentary. The breed peaked here later than in Britain, in the mid 1930s. Then the tractor arrived. By the late 1950s, in the society's words, draught horse values had dropped to rock bottom. Interest has been climbing again since 1970, helped along by the brewery teams that put Clydesdales back in front of the public. The society today has about 700 members across five state branches.

Not every horse in those old photographs was a Clydesdale. The teams that hauled wool and stores across Queensland were draught horses of every type. But by 1936, the society records, the Clydesdale had developed to the almost complete elimination of other draught breeds.

Black Clydesdales, and the other colours

Bay and brown with white markings are the common colours. The UK society adds that blacks, roans and chestnuts are occasionally seen, so a black Clydesdale is the real thing, just not the usual thing. If you are looking at a solid black heavy horse with little white and no feather, think Percheron first.

What a Clydesdale's build means at treat time

Three things, and none of them is about quantity.

• The muzzle is at your shoulder. A treat offered from a closed fist to a horse this size is a risk to fingers. Flat hand, every time, or a feed bin. More on that below.
• The feather hides the skin. Feathered legs need looking at and feeling, not just admiring. We cover greasy heel and the lymph condition CPL further down. No treat changes either one.
• He is probably not working as hard as his great-grandfather. A paddock Clydesdale in 2026 does a fraction of the work the breed was built for. That is the horse who gets fat on a full feed bin and a kind owner.

Carrot Horse BixCrunchy, 1 kg. $23.95Our crunchy Carrot Horse Bix are about 3 cm long, which is small enough to hand out one at a time and firm enough to sit in a pocket without crumbling. Wholegrain wheat, oats, rice and real carrot. For a healthy Clydesdale with no sugar restrictions, a few of these is all the reward he needs.See Carrot Horse Bix

The Shire is the English one, and the old one. Shire Horse Society Australia traces it to the Great Horse of the Middle Ages, bred up in Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire, the shires that gave it a name. The recognised foundation stallion, the Packington Blind Horse, stood near Ashby de la Zouch between 1755 and 1770. The UK society began as the English Cart Horse Society in 1878 and took the Shire name in 1884.

In its day the Shire did much of Britain's heavy haulage. The UK society cites an estimate that London's brewers alone used around 3,000 horses. Then the numbers fell off a cliff: from well over a million to a few thousand by the 1960s.

Shire horses in Australia

Shires came out in the 1800s and early 1900s, but never in the numbers the Clydesdale did. The Australian society is frank about why: the early Shire, being so big and heavy, struggled with the long distances and the harsh country, and by the mid 1920s registered Shires had virtually died out here.

They came back because of a handful of people. An Englishman named Grahame West started the Shire Horse Society of Australia in 1978, when there was not a single registered Shire in the country. In 1981 Helene and Gregory Scarf imported Ladbrook Edward, the first registered Shire stallion to arrive in about 60 years. The Australian Shire Horse Stud Book opened in 2007.

It is still a very rare horse. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia's 2020 figures add up to 304 Shires (our addition), 106 of them mares of breeding age, and its 2025 watchlist lists the breed as endangered. If you own one, you are looking after something scarce.

Can a person ride a Shire horse?

Yes. The UK Shire Horse Society says the breed's calm nature suits recreational riding, driving and even therapy programmes, and describes a resurgence in the Shire as a riding horse as well as a working one. The same goes for the Clydesdale: the UK Clydesdale society reports Clydesdales becoming more and more popular for riding, with ridden classes now at many shows. The practical limits are the ones you would guess. Saddles, girths and floats built for a 16 hand horse do not fit an 18 hand one, and it is a long way up.

What a Shire's build means at treat time

The Shire is the breed where gentle giant is the UK society's own phrase, and the gentleness is real. It is also the reason people over-treat them. A horse that stands quietly with its head over the gate and asks nicely is hard to refuse, and a 900 kg horse can put away a bag of anything without looking any different the next morning. One bag will not show. A daily habit on top of a full feed bin will. Decide the number before you walk to the paddock.

Large Pony DonutsIced, 2 piece. $6.95A hand-sized iced cookie looks right next to an 18 hand horse, and it photographs well. They are a celebration cookie with sugar in the icing, so treat one as an occasion (a birthday, a show, a photo), not a daily habit.See Large Pony Donuts

The Percheron is French, from the small district of Le Perche in the north-west. Breed tradition says it began when Arabian horses left behind after the Battle of Tours in 732 were crossed with heavy Flemish stock. That part is legend more than record. What is documented, according to the Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia, is that the French government stud at Le Pin added more Arabian blood in the early 1800s. The Australian standard still asks for style, activity and refinement in a heavy horse.

The colour is the giveaway. The Australian breed standard allows grey or black, with a minimum of white, and the legs are clean. A grey Percheron is not born grey. Grey horses of every breed are born fully coloured and lighten with age, and the dapple grey horse so many people picture is a stage along the way. The association's own description is “predominantly black or dappled grey”.

Percherons in Australia

The breed has a longer Australian history than most people expect. One of the earliest registered Percherons was bought in France in 1913 and landed in South Australia in 1914. The Sydney Royal held Percheron classes from 1920 to 1952, apart from the Second World War. In 1958 the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories imported two Percheron stallions, preferring, in the association's words, the Percheron temperament above any other heavy breed, and used the horses to produce antivenom for snake and spider bites.

The association elected its first office bearers in 1976. It says the breed did its Australian work in the drier country, where clean legs and hard feet were an advantage, and that Percherons are still put over station mares to add size and toughness to stock horses. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia lists the Percheron as endangered.

What a Percheron's build means at treat time

Two things set the Percheron apart in the feed room.

First, it is an easy keeper by its own breeders' account. The Australian association calls it a “good doing” breed and says that while it is almost twice the weight of the average light horse, good condition is maintained on similar rations. That is a breeder's observation and not a feeding trial, but the point stands: a Percheron does not need feeding like two horses.

Second, in the main survey across breeds the Percheron carried the gene for a muscle condition called PSSM1 more often than any other breed tested, and sugar and starch are the part of the diet that matters for it. That gets its own section below, because it is the one place in this article where the recipe of the treat is a health decision.

Veggie Horse BixNo added sugar, 100 g or 1 kg. from $5.50If we had to pick one of ours for a healthy Percheron, this is it. Veggie Horse Bix have no added sugar, and the nutrition panel on the product page shows 0.98 g of sugars per 100 g. They are still a grain-based biscuit (flour, oats, rice), so they are low in sugar and not low in starch. For a Percheron that has tested positive for PSSM1, or has never been tested, show your Australian vet the panel before feeding any treat, this one included.See Veggie Horse Bix

No. A bigger horse needs more hay. The treat stays the same size, and here is the arithmetic.

Read the last column again. An entire bag is about one per cent of a heavy horse's day. A sensible handful is a rounding error. Treats do not make a draught horse fat by themselves, and they will not put condition on a poor one either. The hay does that, in both directions.

Notice the third column too. The Shire weighs 1.8 times what the riding horse does and needs about 1.6 times the energy. More feed in total, less per kilo. The NRC's lowest maintenance rate is the one it gives for horses with a docile, quiet temperament, and it says that figure may be the right one for an idle draught horse. The Australian Percheron association goes further, in a breeder's words and not a trial's: good condition is maintained on similar rations to a light horse.

Our guess at what does make a heavy horse fat: a quiet animal, a small workload and an owner who likes feeding it. In a British survey of 792 horses and ponies, draught types had 7.3 times the odds of being obese that Thoroughbreds did, the highest of any group in the study. The scores were reported by owners and the margin of error is wide, but the direction is not in doubt.

One caution from the NRC itself: very little feeding research has been done on draught breeds, and its figures for them are extrapolated from light horses. Use the table to get the scale right, then feed the horse in front of you, by eye and by hand over the ribs.

So how many treats can a Clydesdale have?

About the same number we would suggest for any horse. Our Horse Bix product pages say 5 to 10 in a short session suits most horses, fewer for a small pony, and more only for a large horse in hard work. A paddock Clydesdale is large. It is rarely in hard work. What should set the number is the reason you are feeding them: a reward for something done, a catch in the paddock, a goodbye at the gate. One treat does each of those jobs. Ten does not do it ten times better.

Hand-feeding a horse that weighs 900 kilograms

This is where size really does change things. We found nothing to say a heavy horse is more likely to nip than a pony. There is simply a great deal more of him, and a friendly shove from 900 kg will put an adult on the ground.

These are our own rules, not a study's.

• Flat hand, thumb tucked in, so there is nothing to mistake for the treat.
• Your space, your timing. The horse waits, head straight, and the treat arrives. If he walks into you for it, he has just been paid for pushing.
• Use a feed bin for children and visitors. A treat dropped in a bucket is still a treat.
• Nothing from the hand over a fence to someone else's horse. You do not know its diet, its teeth or its manners.

We went through the research on hand-feeding and pushy behaviour in our Pony Club guide. The short version: in the one owner survey that measured it, a UK study from 2010, hand-fed horses were more likely to lick hands and search clothing, and no more likely to nip or bite. A pocket search from 900 kg is still a problem, so the rules above matter more, not less.

Choke in horses: the real risk with a treat

If a treat is going to hurt a healthy horse, this is the most likely way. Choke in a horse is a blockage of the food pipe, not the windpipe. The UC Davis Center for Equine Health lists causes that include bolting feed, poor chewing because of dental disease, and not enough water. It notes that horses can choke on a variety of feedstuffs and treats, especially if they are prone to eating rapidly, and that treats should be portioned appropriately. UC Davis is a US vet school. We could not find an Australian page that covers choke as well.

No study we found says big horses choke less, or that they can take bigger pieces. So the same rules apply at 900 kg as at 300 kg:

• Keep pieces small enough to be chewed, not swallowed whole. Our Horse Bix are 3 cm or less. Break large cookies up.
• Watch the gulpers and the old horses. In one US study of 109 horses with choke, complications were more likely in horses over 15.
• Teeth first. Agriculture Victoria says a paddock horse needs its teeth checked at least once a year. Our piece on signs a horse needs a dentist covers what to look for.
• Know the sign. Green discharge from the nose is the most common one. Take the feed away and call your Australian vet. Do not try to clear it yourself.

We have an obvious interest here, so take this as a maker describing its own shelf. Everything below was available to order on our site on 5 October 2026, and every figure we quote comes from the product's own page.

Pocket treats: the Horse Bix range

Horse Bix are our small crunchy biscuits. The Apple, Carrot, Molasses and Turmeric ones are about 3 cm long, and their 100 g bags hold roughly 20 to 25 pieces, which makes each one 4 to 5 grams. Veggie Horse Bix are a little smaller, from about 1.5 to 3 cm. That is the right scale for rewarding a horse of any size: small enough to give one at a time, and dry enough to live in a jacket pocket.

Veggie Horse BixNo added sugar, 100 g or 1 kg. from $5.50No added sugar. Our panel shows 0.98 g sugars per 100 g. The one to start with.Apple Horse BixCrunchy, 1 kg. $23.95Wholegrain wheat, oats, rice and real apple.Carrot Horse BixCrunchy, 1 kg. $23.95Real carrot. The classic.Molasses Horse BixCrunchy, 1 kg. $23.95Made with real molasses, so not for a horse on a low sugar diet.Turmeric and Coconut Horse BixCrunchy, 1 kg. $23.95Coconut, turmeric and black pepper. A flavour, not a medicine.Little Love Heart CookiesSmall, 100 g. $8.95Small molasses and oat hearts for a special handful.

Veggie Horse Bix are the ones with a full nutrition panel on the product page. That makes them the easy choice for a horse on a vet-managed diet: you can show your Australian vet the numbers.

Soft treats for old teeth and hidden tablets

Old horses wear their teeth down, and a rock-hard cookie is no kindness to a horse with more gum than tooth. Pony Puddings are soft enough to break with your fingers, which also makes them useful for hiding a tablet.

Pony PuddingsSoft, 1 kg. $31.95Soft, made with oats, flaxseed and molasses, and 40 or more to a kilo bag, so each pudding is 25 g or less. The panel shows 19.41 g of sugars per 100 g, which puts it at the sweeter end of our range. One at a time, and not for a horse on a low sugar diet.See Pony Puddings

Pony PuddingsSoft, 500 g. $18.95The same pudding in a 500 g bag.Neigh NuggetsWith flax and chia, 500 g or 1 kg. from $27.95About 2 cm, more than 300 to the kilo. With flaxseed and chia. 12.3% sugar on the product page.

PSSM stands for polysaccharide storage myopathy. In the type 1 form, a single gene makes the horse's muscles store too much sugar as glycogen, and the result can be repeated bouts of tying up, the horseman's term for painful muscle cramping. UC Davis says the gene is dominant, so one copy from one parent is enough, and that it is found most often in some draught breeds.

Here is where the three breeds in this article part company. The main breed survey, by McCue and colleagues at the University of Minnesota in 2010, found the gene in 11 breeds and listed them in order of how common it was. Shires came first, with the least. Percherons came last, with the most.

These are North American and European horses. We could not find any Australian figures, so treat the numbers as a guide to which breed to think about, not as odds for your own horse. And ignore the line you will read online that all draught horses have PSSM. For Clydesdales and Shires, this survey points the other way.

Why would a muscle disease be so common in a working breed? The researchers think it used to be an advantage. UC Davis describes an old mutation that may have suited horses with daily work and limited sugar in the feed. On that theory, a horse that worked all day on plain rations did well with it. The same horse standing in a paddock on rich feed does not.

What the vet schools say to feed a horse with PSSM1

There is no cure, but the UC Davis Center for Equine Health says most affected horses can be managed through diet and exercise. Its advice is to keep sugar and starch (vets call the pair NSC) under 12% of the diet and to exercise the horse daily. The University of Minnesota, where the gene was found, recommends hay under 10% NSC and says to avoid grains, sweet feeds and other feedstuffs high in sugar. Both are US universities. Of horses whose owners stick to both the diet and the exercise, UC Davis reports that 90% have few or no episodes of tying up.

Neither source mentions treats. That part is our reasoning, and it is not complicated: a molasses biscuit or an iced cookie is a small serve of exactly what those vets say to avoid. If you own a Percheron or a Percheron cross that has never been tested, the gene can be checked with a simple genetic test. Ask your Australian vet.

Is PSSM the same as shivers?

No. Shivers in horses is a separate movement disorder, and a fairly rare one. A 2015 US-led study found affected horses were taller, about 173 cm at the wither against 163 cm, and more often male, with no trigger identified. In an earlier US study of 103 Belgian draught horses, 36% had PSSM and 18% had shivers, and the two turned out to be unrelated. No study we found links shivers to feed.

One more thing heavy horses are often accused of: being prone to insulin problems and laminitis, the way ponies are. The European consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome puts cold-blooded horses in the lower risk group for that kind of laminitis. Fat, yes. A classic metabolic breed, no. If laminitis is your worry, our guide to treats for laminitic horses is the place to start.

Where our treats sit for sugar

Here are six of our horse treats in order of sugar, lowest first, using the figures from each product's nutrition panel.

Sugars per 100 g, from our own nutrition panels

Figures from the Huds and Toke product pages, October 2026.

Veggie Horse Bix0.98 g

Salt O's2.3 g

Calm O's3.8 g

Neigh Nuggets12.3 g

Pony Puddings19.41 g

Carrot Cookies34.3 g

Sugar is only half of it. Every treat here is baked from grain, so each one also carries starch. Veggie Horse Bix, for example, show 58.6 g of total carbohydrate per 100 g, of which 0.98 g is sugars.

Long, silky feather is the glory of a Clydesdale or a Shire. It is also a warm, damp place for trouble to start, and two different problems get confused with each other.

Greasy heel in horses

Greasy heel, mud fever and scratches are all names for pastern dermatitis: inflamed, sore skin on the lower legs. The University of Melbourne's Australian Veterinary Prescribing Guidelines say the severe form is most commonly seen in cob and draught type horses, and list the risk factors as feathered limbs, chronic wetting of the skin, unhygienic conditions and, in the heavy breeds, a mite called Chorioptes bovis, better known as the feather mite.

Feed is not on that list. UC Davis does not list it either. Greasy heel is a skin and moisture problem, not a feed problem, and no treat prevents it. The guideline's management is about keeping the skin dry and clean, and it notes that vets will often want the feather clipped so the skin can be treated and checked.

CPL, the one to know about

Chronic progressive lymphoedema is more serious. UC Davis describes a build-up of lymph fluid in the lower legs that causes progressive swelling, skin folds, nodules and ulcers. It starts early, gets worse through the horse's life, and there is no permanent treatment. It has been described in Shires, Clydesdales and Belgians, and in Percherons too, so clean legs are no guarantee. Under heavy feather, the early stages are easy to miss.

Is there a feed link? An observed one, and it needs careful wording. A field study of 493 Rhenish German draught horses found that horses kept on pasture with clean bedding scored better, and that feeding concentrates and hay silage through winter went with worse scores. A 2023 review from Ghent University recommends keeping concentrates modest for that reason, while admitting the mechanism is not fully understood. That is an association in German and Belgian breeds. We found no study of the feed link in Clydesdales, Shires or Percherons, and none of treats.

So here is the honest position of a company that sells treats. They do not treat CPL. They do not prevent greasy heel. What a treat can do is make the real job easier. A horse that gets a biscuit for standing quietly while you part the feather, feel the skin and dry his heels is a horse whose legs get checked more often. That is the whole of the claim. Our tips for keeping a horse calm for the farrier work for leg checks as well.

A team in harness at a January show is doing real work in real heat, and there is a lot of horse to cool. Two things scale with bodyweight far more than treats do: water and salt.

Water. The NRC (the US research council behind the energy table above) puts maintenance water at about 5 litres per 100 kg of bodyweight a day. For an 800 kg Clydesdale that is 40 litres, and for a 900 kg Shire, 45, before the weather or any work is counted. Agriculture Victoria says a horse's needs can double in hot weather or with exercise. Put the two together and a heavy horse working on a hot day can get through 80 litres or more. That is our arithmetic from the two sources. Agriculture Victoria also says buckets are not suitable as a permanent water supply, because they can be tipped over. At 80 litres a day they would not keep up either.

Salt. The NRC's maintenance figure for sodium is 0.02 g per kg of bodyweight a day. For an 800 kg horse that is 16 g of sodium, or roughly 40 g of plain salt, at rest in mild weather. Sweat adds to it quickly. The NRC says free access to salt is the minimum in hot weather, Agriculture Victoria says to provide a salt lick in the paddock, and its extreme heat advice notes that electrolytes can be added to feed to replace salts lost in sweat.

Where does a treat fit? At the edge. Per 100 g, our Salt O's carry about 9 g of sodium, a bit over half of that 16 g resting figure, and nobody feeds 100 g of them. A few rings are a top-up for a horse that will not take salt in its feed. More in our pieces on salt in your horse's diet and beating the summer heat.

Salt O'sSalted, 20 piece. $19.50A baked ring about 5 cm across made with whole wheat flour, salt, apple and fenugreek. Our panel shows 9,190 mg of sodium per 100 g, so each one is a small top-up of salt in a form a fussy horse will take. It sits beside a salt block and clean water. It does not replace either.See Salt O's

Calm O's3, 10 or 20 piece. from $12.00A ring of the same size, about 5 cm, made with L-theanine and L-tyrosine and meant to be given 30 to 45 minutes before an event or a ride. It is a different recipe from Salt O's, with sugar on the ingredient list and 3.8 g of sugars per 100 g on the panel. We make no promises about what it will do for your horse, and if you compete, check the rules of your event before feeding any treat with added amino acids.See Calm O's

Everyone assumes a tonne of horse must be hard on its joints. It is a reasonable guess, and we could not find a study that tests it. The nearest, a 2018 Canadian study of body fat, put the gap bluntly: obesity is endemic in horses, and its relationship to degenerative joint disease has not been explored. The NRC notes that draught horses have been suggested to have a low rate of the developmental joint problems seen in young, fast-growing horses. The sensible reading is that extra fat cannot help a sore joint, and that keeping a heavy horse lean is the one joint measure we have not seen anyone argue against.

Which brings us to turmeric, because we put it in a biscuit and we are asked about it constantly. Here is what the research supports.

• In the laboratory, in one study. Curcumin, the main active compound in turmeric, reduced inflammatory breakdown in samples of horse cartilage in a dish (Clutterbuck and colleagues, 2009, in the UK).
• In living horses, not established. A placebo-controlled trial fed a green tea and curcuma blend to eleven horses and ponies for three weeks. It saw some potential but concluded the supplement did not exert an overall anti-inflammatory effect (Starzonek and colleagues, 2019, in Germany). Small trials of multi-ingredient joint blends that include turmeric have gone both ways, the positive one was run by the maker's own staff, and a blend cannot tell you what the turmeric did.
• How much a horse absorbs has barely been measured. A 2018 US methods paper notes the lack of data for horses.
• No trial of turmeric on its own for arthritis in horses turned up when we searched the medical literature in October 2026.

Europe's feed safety regulator has assessed turmeric in animal feed as a flavouring, which is a fair description of what it does in ours. In Australia the APVMA draws a line at any feed label claiming to treat a disease, condition or injury, and we think that line is in the right place.

Turmeric and Coconut Horse BixCrunchy, 1 kg. $23.95Wholegrain wheat, oats, rice, real coconut, turmeric and black pepper in the same 3 cm biscuit as the Apple and Carrot. Buy them because your horse likes the taste. No biscuit should be standing in for your Australian vet when a big horse is sore.See Turmeric and Coconut Horse Bix

This is where a big horse gets a big cookie, and where we stop pretending it is health food. Our iced cookies are baked biscuits with sugar in the icing. They exist for birthdays, Christmas morning, a ribbon at a show and a good photo. On those days, a horse the size of a Shire is the best possible excuse.

Happy Birthday Cake Cookie13 cm, 1 piece. $17.95A 13 cm iced cookie in blue, pink or multi colour. By racing tradition, horses in Australia turn a year older on 1 August, so there is always a date to aim for. It is a hard biscuit: break it up for an older horse.See Happy Birthday Cake Cookie

We left that review in on purpose. It is the most useful thing anyone has written about the product. There is more on planning the day in our guide to celebrating your horse's birthday.

Large Pony DonutsIced, 2 piece. $6.95Hand-sized, two to a pack. The one that looks right beside a big horse.Big Heart CookiesIced, 3 piece. $8.10Three large iced hearts.Carrot CookiesIced, 4 or 30 piece. from $8.10About 8 cm, iced. The cookie in the photo above.Magical Unicorn CookiesIced, 2 piece. $8.10Two large molasses cookies with sprinkles.Ice Cream CookiesIced, 4 piece. $8.10Four medium iced cookies.Fancy Flowers CookiesIced, 3 piece. $8.10Three iced flowers.

Christmas for horses

The Christmas range is the same baked cookie in red, green and white, boxed to go under a tree or on a stable door. The rest of it lives in Christmas horse treats.

Christmas Tree Gift Box5 piece. $13.95Five iced trees in a clear gift box.Christmas Heart Gift Box4 piece. $13.95Four iced hearts, boxed.Christmas Mini Donut Gift Box4 piece. $13.95Four mini donuts, boxed.Christmas Cookie Mix4 piece. $8.10Two trees and two little donuts.Christmas Pony Donuts2 piece. $6.95Two large Christmas donuts.Mini Pretty Pony DonutsIced, 4 piece. $8.10Not Christmas, but the small everyday version.

Boxes for teams, clubs and show prizes

Heavy horse people tend to travel in numbers: a team of six, a club stand at a field day, a row of stables at a royal show. The bulk boxes are the same cookies in bigger counts.

Large Pony DonutsIced, 30 piece box. $60.00Thirty large donuts.Mini Pony DonutsIced, 40 piece box. $60.00Forty mini donuts.Christmas Tree Cookies36 piece box. $60.00Thirty six Christmas trees.Christmas Pony Donuts30 piece box. $60.00Thirty large Christmas donuts.

People ask this of all three breeds, and the answers are the same for each. None of them is about temperament.

• The feed and water bill. Agriculture Victoria allows 10 to 13 kg of feed a day for an ordinary horse and 13 kg or more for a heavy horse of 650 kg and up. Add 40 litres of water or more on a mild day.
• The legs. Feather needs regular, hands-on care, and greasy heel and CPL are real risks in all three breeds.
• The waistline. In the British survey above, draught types were the group most likely to be obese. A quiet horse in a small paddock needs its feed measured.
• Everything is a size up. Rugs, halters, shoes, the float and the height of the stable door. This one is our own observation and not a statistic, but ask any heavy horse owner.
• Finding one. Shires and Percherons are both listed as endangered in Australia. A registered horse can take some finding.

What you get for the trouble is in the breed standards: gentleness, patience and docility for the Shire, kind and docile for the Percheron. If you are at the looking stage, our checklist of things to check before buying a horse applies at any size.

The best way to learn the difference between a Clydesdale, a Shire and a Percheron is to stand next to all three on the same day. These are the gatherings where you can. Dates are as published on each event's own site on 5 October 2026, so check before you travel.

Gatton and Beaudesert are each a bit over two hours' drive from our bakery at Coolum Beach, so those are the two we would point a Queenslander to first.

Treats made in Coolum Beach for horses of every size

Start with the no added sugar Veggie Horse Bix, then add something soft, something salty and one cookie for the big day.

See all horse treats

Which is bigger, a Clydesdale or a Shire horse?

The Shire, usually, but not by much. Shire Horse Society Australia puts the typical Shire at 18 hands and about 900 kg. The UK Clydesdale Horse Society says a Clydesdale normally stands 17 to 18 hands, and the UK Rare Breeds Survival Trust gives a weight of 800 to 1,000 kg. The ranges overlap heavily.

Is a Percheron bigger than a Clydesdale?

Not taller. Most Percherons stand 16.2 to 17.3 hands against the Clydesdale's 17 to 18. They carry a similar weight on a shorter frame: the Percheron Horse Association of America gives an average of about 860 kg and a maximum of about 1,180 kg.

What is the biggest horse breed in the world?

The Shire holds both Guinness World Records. The tallest horse ever documented was Sampson, a Shire foaled in 1846, at 21.25 hands (2.19 m). The tallest living horse is Hugo, a Shire measured at 199 cm in December 2025.

Are there Clydesdales in Australia?

Yes. Heavy horse breeding took off here in the 1850s and the Clydesdale became the main draught breed. The Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society registered 28,415 of them between 1924 and 2016, and the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia has the breed on its Watch list.

Can you ride a Clydesdale or a Shire horse?

Yes. The UK Clydesdale society reports ridden Clydesdale classes at many shows, and the UK Shire Horse Society says the Shire's calm nature suits recreational riding. You will need tack and a float built for a horse of 17 hands or more.

How many treats can a Clydesdale have?

About the same number as any other horse. A whole 100 g bag of our Veggie Horse Bix is a little over one per cent of an 800 kg horse's daily maintenance energy, so a few biscuits make next to no difference to its weight. Keep the pieces small, feed from a flat hand, and give a treat for a reason.

What treats are safe for a horse with PSSM?

That is a question for your Australian vet. US university advice for PSSM type 1 is to keep sugar and starch low and avoid grain and sweet feed. Treats made with molasses or sugar icing belong in that group. Even a no added sugar biscuit is grain-based, so show them the nutrition panel first.

Does turmeric help horses with arthritis?

It has not been shown to. Curcumin reduced inflammatory breakdown in horse cartilage in one laboratory study. In live horses, a controlled trial of a green tea and curcuma blend found no overall anti-inflammatory effect, trials of mixed blends cannot isolate the turmeric, and we found no trial of turmeric alone for arthritis in horses.

1. Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society Australia. Clydesdale Breed Standards. clydesdalehorse.com.au
2. Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society Australia. Clydesdale History in Australia. clydesdalehorse.com.au
3. Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society Australia. Society information. clydesdalehorse.com.au
4. Clydesdale Horse Society (UK). Breed History. clydesdalehorsesociety.com
5. Clydesdale Horse Society (UK). The Clydesdale Today. clydesdalehorsesociety.com
6. Rare Breeds Trust of Australia. Horses: Clydesdale. rarebreedstrust.com.au
7. Rare Breeds Trust of Australia. Horses: Shire Horse. rarebreedstrust.com.au
8. Rare Breeds Trust of Australia. Horses: Percheron. rarebreedstrust.com.au
9. Rare Breeds Trust of Australia. Livestock Watchlist 2025. rarebreedstrust.com.au
10. Rare Breeds Survival Trust (UK). Clydesdale Horse. rbst.org.uk
11. Rare Breeds Survival Trust (UK). Shire Horse. rbst.org.uk
12. Shire Horse Society Australia. Breed Standard for Shire Horses. shirehorsesociety.com.au
13. Shire Horse Society Australia. The History of the Shire Horse. shirehorsesociety.com.au
14. Shire Horse Society Australia. History of the Shire Horse Society Australia. shirehorsesociety.com.au
15. Shire Horse Society (UK). The Shire Horse Society. shire-horse.org.uk
16. Shire Horse Society (UK). The Shire Horse. shire-horse.org.uk
17. Shire Horse Society (UK). Owning a Shire Horse. shire-horse.org.uk
18. Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia. History of the Breed. percheron.com.au
19. Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia. Breed Standards. percheron.com.au
20. Percheron Horse Breeders Association of Australia. About Us. percheron.com.au
21. Percheron Horse Association of America. Percheron Disposition and Characteristics. percheronhorse.org
22. Guinness World Records. Tallest horse ever. guinnessworldrecords.com
23. Guinness World Records. Tallest horse living. guinnessworldrecords.com
24. Guinness World Records. Big Jake, the world's tallest horse, dies aged 20. 6 July 2021. guinnessworldrecords.com
25. Screen Australia, The Screen Guide. Clydesdale - The Horse that Built a Nation (2007). screenaustralia.gov.au
26. National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6th revised edition. National Academies Press, 2007. doi.org
27. Agriculture Victoria. Feed requirements of horses. agriculture.vic.gov.au
28. Agriculture Victoria. Basic horse care. agriculture.vic.gov.au
29. Agriculture Victoria. Caring for animals during extreme heat. agriculture.vic.gov.au
30. Robin CA, Ireland JL, Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR. Prevalence of and risk factors for equine obesity in Great Britain based on owner-reported body condition scores. Equine Veterinary Journal, 2015;47(2):196-201. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
31. Durham AE, Frank N, McGowan CM, et al. ECEIM consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2019;33(2):335-349. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
32. Young A, Finno C. Esophageal Obstruction (Choke) in Horses. UC Davis Center for Equine Health, 2024. ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu
33. Chiavaccini L, Hassel DM. Clinical features and prognostic variables in 109 horses with esophageal obstruction (1992-2009). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2010;24(5):1147-1152. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
34. Hockenhull J, Creighton E. Unwanted oral investigative behaviour in horses: a note on the relationship between mugging behaviour, hand-feeding titbits and clicker training. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2010;127(3-4):104-107. sciencedirect.com
35. McCue ME, Anderson SM, Valberg SJ, et al. Estimated prevalence of the Type 1 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy mutation in selected North American and European breeds. Animal Genetics, 2010;41 Suppl 2:145-149. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
36. UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM1). vgl.ucdavis.edu
37. Young A, Bellone R, Finno C. Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM). UC Davis Center for Equine Health, 2020. ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu
38. McCue M, Valberg S, Schultz N. Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) in horses. University of Minnesota Extension. extension.umn.edu
39. Firshman AM, Baird JD, Valberg SJ. Prevalences and clinical signs of polysaccharide storage myopathy and shivers in Belgian draft horses. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2005;227(12):1958-1964. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
40. Draper AC, Bender JB, Firshman AM, et al. Epidemiology of shivering (shivers) in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 2015;47(2):182-187. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
41. University of Melbourne. Australian Veterinary Prescribing Guidelines, Equine: Dermatological, wounds and feet disorders (pastern dermatitis). science.unimelb.edu.au
42. Young A. Scratches: A Problem No Matter What You Call It. UC Davis Horse Report, 2022. horsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu
43. Young A, Affolter V. Chronic Progressive Lymphedema (CPL). UC Davis Center for Equine Health, 2019. ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu
44. Brys M, Claerebout E, Chiers K. Chronic Progressive Lymphedema in Belgian Draft Horses: Understanding and Managing a Challenging Disease. Veterinary Sciences, 2023;10(5):347. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
45. Sievers J, Distl O. Prevalence of Chronic Progressive Lymphedema in the Rhenish German Draught Horse. Animals, 2023;13(6):999. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
46. Pearson W, Wood K, Stanley S, MacNicol J. Exploring relationships between body condition score, body fat, activity level and inflammatory biomarkers. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 2018;102(4):1062-1068. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
47. Clutterbuck AL, Mobasheri A, Shakibaei M, Allaway D, Harris P. Interleukin-1beta-induced extracellular matrix degradation and glycosaminoglycan release is inhibited by curcumin in an explant model of cartilage inflammation. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2009;1171:428-435. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
48. Starzonek J, Roscher K, Blüher M, et al. Effects of a blend of green tea and curcuma extract supplementation on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in horses and ponies. PeerJ, 2019;7:e8053. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
49. Liu Y, Siard M, Adams A, et al. Simultaneous quantification of free curcuminoids and their metabolites in equine plasma by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2018;154:31-39. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
50. EFSA FEEDAP Panel. Safety and efficacy of turmeric extract, turmeric oil, turmeric oleoresin and turmeric tincture from Curcuma longa L. rhizome when used as sensory additives in feed for all animal species. EFSA Journal, 2020;18(6):e06146. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
51. Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Stockfeed and petfood regulation. apvma.gov.au
52. Rubin CJ, Hodge M, Naboulsi R, et al. An intronic copy number variation in Syntaxin 17 determines speed of greying and melanoma incidence in Grey horses. Nature Communications, 2024;15:7510. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
53. Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular. Official site. clydesdalespectacular.com.au
54. Gatton Clydesdale and Heavy Horse Field Days. Official site. gattonheavyhorses.com.au
55. Good Old Days Festival, Barellan. Official site. barellanclydesdales.com.au
56. Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society, Victorian Branch. National Clydesdale and Heavy Horse Festival. clydesdalesvic.org.au
57. Royal Agricultural Society of NSW. Sydney Royal Horse Show. rasnsw.com.au
58. Melbourne Royal Show. Official site. melbourneroyal.com.au
59. Royal Queensland Show (Ekka). Horse competition. ekka.com.au

The Huds and Toke Editorial Team  |  15 minute read  |  Updated September 2026

Why these three share a post

The ponies Australian kids ride at Pony Club

Our first pony post was about the little ones: the Shetland, the Welsh Mountain pony and the Australian Pony, the easy keepers that can founder on a good spring. This one is about what usually comes next. When a child outgrows a first pony and starts riding at Pony Club in earnest, the next pony tends to be bigger, quicker and more athletic, somewhere between 12.2 and 14.2 hands. Very often it is one of these three.

Show rules make the point better than we can. In children's ridden show pony classes, a pony up to 12.2 hands carries a rider aged 12 and under, up to 13.2 hands a rider 14 and under, and up to 14.2 hands a rider 17 and under, according to the Riding Pony Stud Book Society judges handbook. These are children's ponies by design.

They are not the same pony. The Connemara is an Irish native built for rock and rain. The Welsh Section B is a Welsh pony bred up into a children's riding pony. The Australian Riding Pony is our own show pony. What they share is a pony's appetite in a body that is asked to jump, travel and stand in a line-up, and an owner who is often ten or twelve years old.

That last part is why this post spends as long on the hand as it does on the treat.

Source. Pony Club Australia; Potter et al., Australian Veterinary Journal, 2016 (researcher-assessed obesity, 9 point scale, in pony types other than Shetlands; Shetlands were 71.5%); Craven, Emergency Medicine Australasia, 2008 (186 children, 1999 to 2003).

Breed one

The Connemara

The Connemara comes from the west coast of Ireland, where the breed society describes an environment that "requires a hardy, surefooted and frugal pony for survival". It reached Australia in 1963, when Dr Fred Wiltshire imported the stallion Island King, originally to improve the Australian Pony. The Connemara Pony Breeders Society of Australia lists it as suitable for child or adult, and it is the pony a lot of Pony Club riders keep when they grow: big enough to carry a teenager round a cross country course, sensible enough for a nervous ten year old.

Show catalogue  |  Class 1

Connemara

Origin	Connemara, west of Ireland. In Australia since 1963.
Height	12.2 to 14.2 hh (128 to 148 cm), breed society standard
Built for	Hardiness, staying power, jumping, "suitable for child or adult"
Feeding type	Frugal. Stays well on less than you think.
Watch for	Weight gain on rich pasture, and HWSD, a genetic hoof condition so far found only in Connemaras and their crosses

Treat verdict. Low sugar, small pieces, and keep the pony lean. Veggie Horse Bix every day, Carrot Horse Bix for variety.

Is a Connemara a laminitis risk?

Lower than a Welsh Mountain pony's, as long as it stays lean, but not zero. The European vet consensus on equine metabolic syndrome names British native ponies, Welsh ponies and Shetlands, but does not mention the Connemara at all. In a UK study of native ponies and cobs, Connemaras had much lower odds of EMS than Welsh Section A ponies (an odds ratio of 0.06).

The catch is condition. An Irish study of 200 Connemaras found 29.5% had a body condition score of 7 or more out of 9, 16% had high insulin, and the odds of high insulin rose about 6.5 times once a pony reached that score. In other words, the risk follows the fat more than the breed name. But the same study found owner-reported or clinical signs of past laminitis in 46% of the ponies (they were recruited through social media, so problem ponies may be over-represented), and its authors concluded that obesity, laminitis and metabolic problems are prevalent in the breed. A Connemara is not immune, and one on a lush Australian paddock with a pocketful of treats can end up there.

Every dayVeggie Horse BixNo added sugar, 0.98 g per 100 g  |  from $5.50The lowest sugar on our treat chart: 0.98 g per 100 g. The one to keep in the tin at the tie-up.See it in the shop →Small rewardsNeigh NuggetsWith omegas, 500 g  |  from $27.95Over 300 to the kilogram, so a jumping lesson's worth of rewards is still a small handful. Flax and chia on the ingredient list.See it in the shop →

Breed two

The Welsh Section B

The Section B is the Welsh pony bred for children to ride. According to the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of Australia, in the late 1920s two stallions of half Oriental and half Welsh breeding were accepted into the stud book "with the intention of breeding childrens' riding ponies", and those ponies became the Section B. The Australian Pony Stud Book describes it as "a riding pony, with quality, riding action, adequate bone and substance, hardiness and constitution with pony character", capped at 13.2 hands.

Show catalogue  |  Class 2

Welsh Section B

Origin	Wales, as the riding type of the Welsh pony
Height	Not exceeding 13.2 hh (APSB and Welsh Pony and Cob Society of Australia)
Built for	Children's riding, jumping and the show ring
Feeding type	A good doer. Carries the Welsh tendency to hold weight.
Watch for	Insulin dysregulation, a cresty neck, and owners who do not see the weight coming

Treat verdict. The closest of the three to our easy keeper pony guide. Green row treats only, in small pieces, and none at all with a laminitis history.

Why Welsh ponies need the most care

A 2024 study of Shetland and Welsh ponies in Queensland and Victoria found 61% had insulin dysregulation, the metabolic state that raises a pony's risk of laminitis. Older ponies and mares were more likely to have it, and so were ponies their owners already thought were fat. The finding that matters most for a family: owners underestimated their pony's body condition by an average of one score compared with a vet.

There is a genetic thread too. A Victorian study found 20 of 22 Welsh Section B ponies carried two copies of a gene variant linked to short stature and higher insulin. The same study found the variant explained only about 7% of the difference in insulin between ponies, so it is not destiny. Other factors in the same study, including age, cresty neck score and the farm the pony lived on, explained more of it. In the UK study above, Welsh B and C ponies also had lower odds of EMS than Welsh Section A ponies (an odds ratio of 0.35), though not as low as the Connemaras' 0.06.

Every dayVeggie Horse BixNo added sugar, 0.98 g per 100 g  |  from $5.50Under 1 g of sugar per 100 g. Snap each Bix in half for a Section B and you have twice the rewards for the same food.See it in the shop →Hot daysSalt O's20 piece, functional  |  $19.502.3 g of sugar per 100 g and 9,190 mg of sodium. For hot summer rallies, broken into pieces for a pony.See it in the shop →

Breed three

The Australian Riding Pony

The Australian Riding Pony is our own show pony. The Riding Pony Stud Book Society traces it to the early 1970s, when Australian breeders imported British Riding Pony stallions and bred them with the Welsh Section B ponies, other ponies, and Thoroughbred and Arab lines already here. The society itself began in 1975. Its breed standard is blunt about the purpose: "a combination of various pony breeds with thoroughbred and Arab, bred to produce the ultimate pony to perform in show riding classes."

Show catalogue  |  Class 3

Australian Riding Pony

Origin	Australia, from British Riding Pony stallions crossed with Welsh B, Thoroughbred and Arab lines.
Height	Not to exceed 14.2 hh, shown in height classes
Built for	Show riding classes: quality, movement, manners
Feeding type	Varies with the blood. Often sharp, and often kept too well.
Watch for	Show condition creeping past working condition, and nerves on the float

Treat verdict. Condition first, treats second. Keep a close eye on the scale below, and keep any calming product off rally and competition days until you have checked the rules.

The same Victorian gene study found 15 of 19 Australian Riding Ponies carried two copies of the short, higher insulin variant. With the Thoroughbred and Arab in the mix, some riding ponies are sharp and hard to keep; others are Welsh through and through and hold weight on air. Feed the pony in front of you, and let the condition score decide the treats.

Float daysCalm O'sCalming horse treats  |  from $12.00Made for the pony that frets on the float. 3.8 g of sugar per 100 g. Our feeding guide starts at 400 kg, so break each O for a pony. Check your club's rules before a rally or competition.See it in the shop →Practice daysCarrot Horse Bix1 kg, crunchy  |  $23.95The reward for standing square in the line-up at home. Real carrot, and no sugar or molasses on the ingredient list. We have not published a panel for it yet.See it in the shop →

● ● ●

The question every Pony Club parent asks

Do treats make a pony nip?

Search for horse nipping and a lot of the advice you will find tells you to stop hand-feeding. We make treats, so you would expect us to disagree. Here is what the research actually says, because it is more interesting than either side.

The one study we could find that measured it was a survey of UK horse owners published in 2010. Ninety-one percent of owners fed their horse by hand. Hand-feeding was linked to horses licking hands and searching pockets and clothing, gently or roughly. But in the researchers' words, "Nipping hands and biting clothes were not associated with hand-feeding, suggesting that risk factors for these behaviours originate outside of this practice." Owners who used clicker training saw no more of any of these behaviours.

These findings suggest that horse owners should not be deterred from using food-based positive reinforcement techniques with their horses, as fears that this practice will result in unwanted oral investigative behaviours from their horses appear unfounded.

Hockenhull and Creighton, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2010

So the honest summary is: treats handed out carelessly teach a pony to mug you for more, and a mugging pony is annoying and sometimes pushy. In that study, hand-feeding was not linked to nipping. Pony Club Australia teaches food rewards too. Its syllabus asks even E Certificate riders to "Know two different ways to reward the horse (scratching and food rewards)", and its horse welfare policy lists food treats among the things to give a horse regularly as a positive experience.

Food rewards also seem to change how ponies feel about people. In a French study, ponies trained with food rewards showed more interest in humans and sought contact after training, and the effect was still visible five months later. In a second study, horses rewarded with a small piece of carrot from the hand learned to stand still faster than horses rewarded with a scratch on the withers.

Any owner of a treat-motivated pony will recognise what the 2010 survey found. Two of our own customers put it better than the paper did:

My Connemara, always keen on treats, is now a pocket terrorist. He knows where the treats are and refuses to budge without a few.

Christine S., verified buyer, Apple Horse Bix, March 2026

She could smell them when they were in my pockets and used to nudge me to give them to her.

Tracy G., verified buyer, Carrot Horse Bix, June 2024

That is mugging, not nipping, and it is fixable.

How to reward a pony without making a mugger

The technique is where it goes right or wrong, and it is simple enough for a ten year old. Penn State Extension puts it plainly: place the treat in the centre of your palm with your hand wide open and flat, and bring your hand to the pony rather than making it reach. Here it is in four steps.

Two more rules from the research. The International Society for Equitation Science says to minimise delays in reinforcement, so the treat has to arrive within a second or two of the thing you are rewarding, not after the pony has wandered off. And a 2022 Swedish study started every horse's food training by rewarding it for turning its head away from the owner, "in order to prevent mugging for treats". That is the single most useful thing you can teach a Pony Club pony before you ever put a treat in your hand: the treat comes when your head is away from my pocket.

For perspective, bites are a small share of what puts children in hospital. In five years of horse injuries to children at an Adelaide hospital, 79% were falls, 15% kicks and 3% bites. That is not a reason to ignore a nippy pony, but it is a reason to spend more energy on a good helmet and a sensible pony than on banning carrots.

Our Encouragement Award pack. Photo: Huds and Toke.

Where we stand

We have been handing treats to Pony Club kids for years

In May 2018 we started the Huds and Toke Encouragement Award, first presented at Mooloolah Pony Club, for young riders with "a great attitude, great sportsmanship and great horsemanship" rather than a blue ribbon. We supply prize treats to Pony Clubs and shows, and treat bags for rider camps.

So when we say give treats with a flat hand, for a job done, we are saying it as the people who put the treats in the rider bags.

"Huds and Toke have supported our camps since the first one, 4 years ago!"

Yandina and District Pony Club, April 2025, on Facebook

The show ring

Why do show ponies end up too fat?

Because it looks good in a photo, and because it creeps up. Agriculture Victoria's condition scoring note, built on Carroll and Huntington's Australian method, lists typical scores for equestrian horses of 3 to 4 out of 5, and for show horses, over 4. Pony Club Australia sets the target at 3 for both idle and performance horses, and its welfare policy makes it a breach not to address the feeding of any horse scoring under 2 or over 4, and asks coaches and officials to watch for those scores.

The Pony Club rally data shows how common it is. Researchers from the University of Melbourne visited ten Pony Club rallies across Victoria and scored 229 horses and ponies themselves. Obesity ran at 71.5% in Shetlands, 32.0% in other pony types and 9.3% in horses, and owners rated their animals as significantly leaner than the researchers did. It is not only an Australian habit: a US study of 377 ponies at a national hunter show found 35% were obese, and in the large ponies there was a small link between more condition and a better score in the conformation phase.

There is good news in the rule books. For working hunter ponies, the Riding Pony Stud Book Society's judges handbook says the pony "must exhibit an ability to jump and be fit enough to go a distance. Over conditioned ponies should be scored down." And Pony Club Australia's hot weather policy lists being overweight among the things that make a horse struggle in the heat.

What does that mean for treats?

Let the score set the budget. At a 3, a few small low sugar rewards a day are a sensible habit. Creeping towards 4, the iced cookies go first and the everyday treats get snapped in half. At 4 or more, or with a diagnosis of EMS, the European vet consensus is clear that "grains or cereal-based complementary feeds, fruit, or vegetables such as carrots, apples, or treats should be excluded from the diet". Ours included. That is not what a treat company usually says, but it is what we would tell our own kids.

They're excellent training treats for my chonky ponies, as well as my goats and dogs.

Rebecca V., verified buyer, Veggie Horse Bix, May 2023

Training is the job Veggie Horse Bix suit best. At 0.98 g of sugar per 100 g, they are the treat we would reach for when a pony creeping towards a 4 still needs its rewards, snapped small and counted. Once a pony is at 4 or more, the consensus above applies to ours too.

Read the labels with us

Which of our treats suit a Pony Club pony?

Here are six of our horse treats with their nutrition panel figures, sorted the way we would sort them for a pony that lives on Australian pasture and gets ridden a few times a week. Tap any row to see the product.

The rest of the horse range, the Apple, Carrot, Molasses and Turmeric and Coconut Horse Bix and the iced cookies, is best judged by what is in it. The iced cookies are a molasses and oat biscuit with a sugar icing on top, the same build as the Carrot Cookies at the bottom of the chart, so treat them the same way. The Molasses Horse Bix say molasses on the tin. If your pony needs a low sugar treat, the green row is where to shop.

Rally, camp and show day

How should you feed a pony on a long Pony Club day?

A rally or a show is a long day for a pony: an early float trip, hours tied to the float, a lesson or three classes, and the same trip home. Treats have a small job to do on a day like that, and the order you do things in matters more than which bag you pack.

Forage first, all day. Pony Club Australia's welfare policy makes it a breach to leave a horse without access to food for more than six hours at a Pony Club event, and suggests a hay net when tethered or yarded between activities. The European vet consensus on gastric ulcers backs that up: more than six hours between forage meals increases the likelihood of ulcers in the upper stomach (why hay comes first). A small forage feed before riding is common advice too; the science behind it is a small treadmill study, so treat it as sensible practice rather than proven. Our hot blood post has a diagram of why an empty stomach and a canter do not mix.

Treats after the work, not before it. The reward is for the job. A treat at the float on arrival is just food.

Water and salt on hot days. Agriculture Victoria advises planning for days over 36 degrees in dry heat (less if humid), moving exercise to the cool of the day, and notes that electrolytes can be added to feed to replace salts lost in sweat. The same ulcer consensus considers electrolytes with feed safe, but links electrolyte pastes and strong solutions given by mouth with more ulcers. Our salt guide covers the everyday side. Pony Club Australia wants horses allowed to drink as much water as they want, and cool and comfortable before they are loaded onto a well-ventilated float.

Calming products and the rules. Pony Club Australia recognises and applies the FEI list of prohibited substances, and bans sedatives and tranquillisers at all times. L-theanine and L-tyrosine, the two amino acids we add in our Calm O's, are not on the FEI 2026 list. But that list also covers "any other substance with a similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s)", Pony Club Victoria prohibits any substance "other than a normal nutrient" that could affect performance, and Pony Club Queensland requires the activity's appointed vet to be notified if a horse needs treating with a calming drug during an activity. So we will not tell you Calm O's are competition-legal. They are for the float and the practice day. Before giving them on the way to, or at, any Pony Club rally or competition, ask the event vet or technical delegate first: Pony Club Victoria's rule covers the time before an activity, not just during it. If the rider is under 18, Pony Club makes compliance the parent's job. For a nervous traveller, our guide to managing a nervous horse is the place to start.

Salt O's20 piece, functional  |  $19.502.3 g sugar and 9,190 mg sodium per 100 g. Break each O into pieces for a pony on a hot day.Calm O'sCalming horse treats  |  from $12.00For the float and the practice day. Check the rules before any rally or competition.Pony PuddingsSoft, 1 kg  |  $31.95Soft enough to fold a tablet into. Keep them for the vet's tablets.Dual Sided Shedding BrushHorse or dog  |  $12.95For the dried sweat patch under the saddle before the float trip home.

Birthdays and Christmas

Can a pony have a birthday cookie?

Yes, if it is a healthy pony at a sensible weight, and if the cookie is the treat for that day rather than something on top of it. We make iced cookies because kids love choosing them and ponies love eating them. They are also where most of the sugar in our range lives, and we would rather tell you that than pretend otherwise.

• One cookie, broken into pieces, as that day's treat. Not a handful on top of the everyday ones.
• Let the child who chose it give it, with a flat hand, after the pony has been groomed or ridden.
• Skip the iced range altogether for a pony with a laminitis history, and give a pony with diagnosed EMS or active laminitis no treats at all. Our easy keeper pony guide explains why.
• For Christmas, a gift box from the kids is a lovely thing. Share it across the week, not the morning.
• By convention, Australian horses share an official birthday on 1 August, which makes a Pony Club pony party easy to plan.

Horse Happy Birthday Cake Cookie1 piece  |  $17.9513 cm iced cake cookie. Snap it into pieces for a pony.Magical Unicorn CookiesIced, 2 piece  |  $8.10Molasses cookie with icing and sprinkles. A big one, so break it up.Mini Pretty Pony DonutsIced, 4 piece  |  $8.10Small iced donuts, and the easiest cookie to share out.Big Heart CookiesIced, 3 piece  |  $8.10Three large iced hearts. One is plenty for a pony.Christmas Mini Donut Gift Box4 piece  |  $13.95Four iced mini donuts in a gift box.Christmas Heart Gift Box4 piece  |  $13.95Four iced heart cookies in a gift box.

My daughter loved her Christmas present of horse treats and so did the ponies.

Faith C., verified buyer, Apple Horse Bix, January 2025

A placegetter cookie. Photo: Huds and Toke.

For the ribbon days

The pony gets a prize too

At some of the shows we sponsor, the placegetters get a Huds and Toke placegetter cookie, so the pony is rewarded directly for its efforts. It is our favourite use for an iced cookie: one, earned, at the end of the day.

"We give Huds and Toke horse treats as prizes and everyone loves them."

Sharon W., verified buyer, Fancy Flowers cookies, October 2024

Common questions

Common questions

Does hand-feeding treats make a pony nip?

Not in the one study that measured it. A UK survey of horse owners found hand-feeding was linked to horses licking hands and searching pockets and clothing, but nipping hands and biting clothes were not associated with hand-feeding. Give treats from a flat palm, only as a reward for something the pony has just done, then show an empty hand. For a pony that already mugs, use a bucket.

How many treats can a Pony Club pony have?

There is no official number. RSPCA Australia gives no treat quantity at all. For a healthy pony at a condition score of about 3 out of 5, a few small low sugar pieces used as rewards is a sensible habit. For a pony that is obese or has equine metabolic syndrome, the European vet consensus says treats, carrots and apples should be left out altogether. Talk to your Australian vet.

Are Connemara ponies prone to laminitis?

The Connemara is not named as a high risk breed in the European vet consensus on equine metabolic syndrome, and in a large UK study Connemaras had much lower odds of EMS than Welsh Section A ponies. An Irish study found overweight Connemaras were the ones at risk: the odds of high insulin rose about 6.5 times when body condition was 7 or more out of 9. Keeping a Connemara lean removes the biggest risk factor, but the same Irish study found signs of past laminitis in 46% of the ponies it examined.

Are Welsh Section B ponies easy keepers?

Often, yes. In an Australian study of Shetland and Welsh ponies in Queensland and Victoria, 61% had insulin dysregulation, and owners underestimated their pony's body condition by about one score. Treat a Welsh Section B like the good doer it probably is: low sugar treats in small pieces, and none at all if it has a laminitis history.

Can I use calming treats at Pony Club?

Pony Club Australia applies the FEI list of prohibited substances. L-theanine and L-tyrosine are not on the FEI's 2026 list, but the list covers any substance with a similar biological effect, and Pony Club Victoria's rules ban anything other than a normal nutrient that could affect performance. Check with the event vet or technical delegate before a rally or competition day.

What body condition score should a Pony Club pony be?

Pony Club Australia's target is 3 on its 0 to 5 scale, and its welfare policy makes it a breach not to address the feeding of any pony scoring under 2 or over 4. Show horses often sit above 4, which is heavier than a working pony needs to be.

Which Huds and Toke horse treat has the least sugar?

Veggie Horse Bix, at 0.98 g of sugar per 100 g on our label. Salt O's (2.3 g) and Calm O's (3.8 g) are next. Pony Puddings (19.41 g) and our iced cookies are the ones to keep for birthdays and tablets.

References

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3. Pony Club Australia. Horse Medication Policy, May 2023. ponyclubaustralia.com.au
4. Pony Club Australia. Hot Weather Policy. ponyclubaustralia.com.au
5. Pony Club Victoria. Handbook of By-Laws, Rules 13 to 43, effective 1 July 2024, Rule 27. ponyclubvic.org.au
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