You’ll need just a few ingredients if you’d like to play Santa. First, buy an imitation evergreen wreath from your local craft store. Fresh evergreens, although they smell great, are very risky. Yew is often used in seasonal wreaths and floral arrangements because it looks nearly identical to pine. It is highly toxic to horses. Mistletoe, cedar and some pines can also cause potentially toxic reactions. To be safe, stick with an artificial wreath with bendable branches. Make sure that it’s constructed with a secure wire frame – so a carrot-crazed horse can’t destroy it, and the giftee can reuse the wreath once the carrot crumbs are brushed away!
Next, buy four bunches of fresh carrots with the curly green tops attached. You’ll also need some green yarn and a roll of wide, colorful holiday ribbon.
 Separate the bunches of carrots into groups of two or three. Lay your wreath flat and then arrange your carrots on top of it. Alternate the way the carrots lay, creating a circle of orange atop the greenery. Use pieces of yarn to discreetly tie the groups of carrots to the wire frame underneath the foliage. Make a few loops around the stems of the carrot tops first, and then reach through the artificial evergreen and knot the yarn to the frame. If necessary, bend some of the branches to cradle the carrots. To finish your creation, tie a big, bright bow to the top of the wreath. |
 Always supervise your horse with the wreath, and remove the carrots to gift them to your horse if necessary. We allowed the ladylike Lexi to do her own carrot removal, however. You can see by our photos how Lexi enjoyed her wreath. |
 Although she made a mess of our creation, she seemed to have fun. And isn’t that what the holidays are all about? |
Read more ideas for an equestrian Christmas >>
See recipes for homemade horse treats >>
cool
What a great idea – I can’t wait to try it out on
my boys and girls. I am so thankful for the
comments on the immitation greenery wreaths vs. the
real ones. I had wanted to put a wreath on the gate and had not because I was afraid my mischievious gelding would eat it!
thats cute and funny
Great idea! I bet the horses LOVE it! It’d make a nice Christmas present.
This is a great idea for a “present” for any horse.
great Idea!!!
I did this for my horse for her Birthday and she LOVED it but i made it toataly edible I used hay insted of evergreedns and i used twine from the bales and i tied some carrots and apples to it and she was all over it! and i put some pepermints inside of the apples (princess’ fav treat is pepermint)
Not very pretty but I bet the horses love it! My horse would love an apple wreath even better!