Palatability of Horse Treats: Comparing the Preferences of Horses and Humans.
Authors: Francis Jesse M, Thompson-Witrick Katherine A, Perry Erin B
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary When developing equine treats, manufacturers typically prioritise consumer appeal to horse owners, yet little evidence exists comparing these human preferences against what horses actually prefer. Francis and colleagues presented 30 horses with two contrasting treats—a cinnamon-flavoured flax disk and an apple-flavoured textured oat biscuit—in a controlled preference test measuring which product was sniffed, consumed, and finished first, whilst simultaneously surveying horse owners on purchase intent and sensory attributes. Contrary to expectations, horses showed no significant preference between the two products during any phase of the test, though their initial olfactory responses did correlate moderately with consumption and completion behaviours (correlation coefficients of 0.40 and 0.48 respectively). Horse owners, however, rated the apple-oat treat considerably more favourably across appearance, texture, size, and likelihood of purchase compared to the cinnamon-flax alternative. This disconnect suggests that equine professionals and clients should recognise a potential gap between human marketing preferences and equine palatability, and manufacturers would benefit from conducting behavioural preference testing with horses themselves rather than assuming consumer opinions reliably predict equine acceptance.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Horse treat manufacturers should conduct actual horse preference testing rather than relying solely on human consumer preferences, as owners' assessments do not necessarily predict what horses will prefer
- •When developing new treat products, incorporate both equine palatability trials and consumer testing, as these address different market factors
- •Product appearance and texture matter more to human purchasers than to horses, so marketing strategies should emphasize different attributes depending on target audience
Key Findings
- •No significant difference in horse preference between cinnamon-flavored flax-based treat (Product A) and apple-flavored oat-based treat (Product B) for first sniffed, consumed, or finished
- •Moderate positive correlations observed between first product sniffed and consumed (P = 0.01, φ = 0.40) and between first product consumed and finished (P < 0.01, φ = 0.48)
- •Horse owners rated Product A significantly lower than Product B across appearance, texture, size, and purchase intent (P < 0.01)
- •Consumer preferences of horse owners diverged from actual horse preferences, indicating misalignment between human and equine treat preferences