Last month my friend & I went and picked (off the ground and from the trees) a bunch of free pears. She saw an ad on Craiglist - someone was asking people to help themselves to all their extra pears. I think we filled about six 5 gallons buckets full of pears. I have been feeding them to the horses for an occasional treat. Plus, if I notice that a pear is starting to rot - I throw it to the chickens.

If you know someone who has fruit trees - be sure to see if there are extras that will be going to waste! They make a great FREE horse treat. You can even keep them in the freezer to make them last longer. Be sure to feed in moderation - no more than a few at a time. Too many apples or pears and you can end up with a really sick horse!  A ripe pear is really juicy & you will probably get pear-juiced when they take a big bite! Trust me on this...