INGREDIENTS:

• turmeric powder, 1/3 cup /80 g

• black pepper 2 tsp /10 g

• quick rolled oats 3 cups/ 750 g

• plain unsweetened applesauce 1 cup /250 g

• blackstrap molasses- add enough to "stick"- ~ 1/4- 1/2 cup (85-170g)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees (121 C). Alternatively, you can use a food dehydrator on high overnight.

• Mix turmeric powder, black pepper, and oats.

• Add in applesauce and mix in well. If too wet, add more oats. The consistency should be like a slightly dry batter.

• Add in the molasses and mix very well- this takes the place of eggs in the mixture and keeps treats from falling apart.

• Use a spoon and drop balls of batter onto a lined baking sheet.

• I prefer using parchment paper or a silicon sheet instead of spray oils/grease. Bake on low temp (250degrees) for 30 min.

• Turn up heat to 350 (176 C) and bake for about 6 min more.

Baking times will vary by oven and altitude, but in general you want the cookies to be firm but slightly spongy.
The higher temp at the end dries off the surface of the treat and allows them to "set".

NOTES:

• Black pepper is necessary for adequate absorption of the curcuminoid compounds in turmeric.

• Raw turmeric is the least efficient method of delivering curcuminoids into the body (whether it's dog, horse, or human!

• Curcuminoids do not act as direct anti-inflammatories (like NSAIDS) but keep the chronic inflammatory response muted (immunomodulation, anti-oxidant) and thus work best if taken on a regular basis.

I feed 3-4 treats/day for a 1000 lb (500kg) horse.

Other add ins to this recipe:

• Fresh ground flaxseeds

• carrots ground up in a food processor

• Cinnamon - 500mg/day inhibits abnormal increase in blood glucose in humans. make sure it's Ceylon cinnamon only, as common culinary cinnamon (Cinnamom cassia) can be damaging to the liver in human and mouse trials.

• Ginger, fresh-grated- in research was shown to be more effective as Bute in reducing osteoarthritic pain in humans (yes, Bute was tried on humans- and caused organ damage! Do not try at home!). Ginger is also an incredible digestive aid.