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So you've done the right thing, analyzed your horse's diet, and gone to the trouble and expense of having a custom supplement formulated to neatly fill in the gaps. But how the heck do you get your horse to actually EAT the new supplement?? What's a good base and flavoring for the powdered mineral blends that won't throw a monkey wrench into the careful nutrition calculations? Here are some ideas to get your horses gobbling up their new rations.

Start with a good, simple base. A small amount of soaked, rinsed beet pulp works nicely. But be sure to rinse the beet pulp thoroughly to remove the abundance of iron and molasses it contains first. Bermuda pellets are good, too; add a little water and the supplement and mix well just before serving.

Now, some horses will lick the bucket clean with nothing more added. But many more will turn up their noses when they get a whiff of the not-so-tasty minerals, like Morris the Cat in the old 9 Lives catfood commercials...time for the old finicky act! What to do??

First of all, introduce the new supplement gradually over a period of weeks. If they still eye their rations suspiciously, flavoring to increase palatability and mask the smell might be in order.

I personally use about two ounces of cocosoya oil. Cocosoya masks the smell of medicines and supplements, and apparently it tastes great too. I have not yet met a horse that doesn't love the stuff, and it provides essential fatty acids hay lacks. But it can be messy, and while it's fairly economical, it might not be the best choice if you're in a situation where moistening the base is not an option.

Another option is Uckele.com's Equi-Omega Complex. Equi Omega Complex is a fatty acid formula that blends Cocosoya stabilized flax seed and stabilized rice bran in a highly palatable dry formula. This is a nice, tidy solution for folks at boarding stables who need to pre-bag their supplements. I've found as little as 2 tablespoons is enough to use strictly as a flavoring.

Both the cocosoya oil and Equi Omega Complex are available through Uckele.com here:

Buy Cocosoya Oil or Equi Omega Complex

Uckele also sells low-glycemic, no sugar, Equi Sweet liquid in a variety of flavors here:

Buy Equi Sweet liquid flavors

Alternatively, a study completed in 2005 identified a list of horses' favorite flavors. The top eight according to the study:

1. fenugreek
2. banana
3. cherry
4. rosemary
5. cumin
6. carrot
7. peppermint
8. oregano

Fenugreek (which imparts a maple flavor), rosemary, cumin, and oregano all have strong smells, and are readily available at the local grocery store in powdered form. Pure peppermint extract powder or oil is available at specialty shops and online.

Experiment a little, and you're likely to find one that your horse can't resist. Use a very small amount; all of the powdered forms are concentrated and powerful, and most of the herbs here have some type of medicinal use; too much is probably not advisable.

Another approach to get a horse eating something he finds repugnant is short-term syringing. Syringe the minerals, supplements or medications in the horse's mouth, and then feed him whatever base you've decided to use (i.e., soaked, rinsed beet pulp). Gradually add some of the "yucky stuff" to the feed ration, and reduce the amount syringed. The idea is that the taste is in the horse's mouth before he eats, so that he becomes accustomed to it.

Be creative, and stick with it. The benefits of getting your horse's diet precisely balanced far outweigh the effort it takes to make him eat it!