Joanna Russell was already excited to get a call about a potential job at Alltech®.
She “literally screamed” when she learned the position was account manager for Mrs. Pastures® Cookies for Horses, she recalls with a laugh. “That’s my all-time favorite horse cookie!”
The 38-year-old brand of health-conscious horse cookies often evokes that kind of reaction from its fans. People love them because their horses love them. That’s why they’ve gone from a simple goodie made in a horse mom’s home kitchen to an easily identifiable, red-lidded container recognized by both horses and horse people throughout North America.
The crunchy treats are now sold in everything from 8-ounce pouches to 50-pound tubs and their devoted fans include Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome, who still receives regular shipments of Mrs. Pastures at his home in Japan.
Made of simple, all-natural ingredients, Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses were originally created by California horsewoman Patricia Burge, who was seeking a wholesome treat for her daughter Maggie’s horse Poncho. Poncho was incredibly picky, which inspired Burge to refine her recipe to horse-approved perfection. The ingredients of her original cookie recipe remain the same — apples, oats, cane molasses, rolled barley, water and wheat middlings — a nutritious byproduct of the wheat milling process.
No preservatives, corn or soy have ever been used to produce the timeless treat.
An Ongoing Legacy
Patricia Burge officially started the Mrs. Pastures business in her home in 1986 at age 66, and trailblazed its growth to a national brand for 30 years thereafter. Burge’s daughter, Maggie Carroll, continued the legacy when her mother passed away in 2016..
Alltech – a global leader in the animal health and nutrition industry – acquired Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses in 2021 to help grow its “hoofprint” in the equine industry. The company shares a similar origin story of being founded by passionate, goal-oriented individuals. Alltech was started by Irish biochemist Dr. Pearse Lyons in 1980 and has since grown to employ over 6,000 people worldwide, while remaining a family-owned company.
Alltech’s support of equestrian sports came front and center as the title sponsor of the 2010 and 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games. The Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park continues to showcase the sport and Alltech’s enduring commitment to the equine industry. Above all, Alltech’s Lifeforce™ equine supplements, feed products and specialty ingredients support and promote equine health and performance.
After Alltech initially purchased Mrs. Pastures, Maggie Carroll served as a close advisor to ensure that customers could continue to count on the high quality and good taste for which the treats are famous.
In The Oven…
The winning combination of a home-kitchen developed recipe, plus Alltech’s experience and global scope, positions Mrs. Pastures to meet the equine industry’s evolving needs and preferences.
For example, a new recipe variation was designed to give more health-conscious horse owners a superfood-packed option in treat form. The new Super Cookie™ is made with the same time-tested process as the original cookie, but it has no molasses or other added sugar. Sweet potatoes, turmeric and kelp add “super” nutrients for overall horse health.
Supporting the bond between horses and their humans was a founding inspiration for Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses. The treats are a popular incentive in ground-based and under-saddle training methods that use positive reinforcement.
“We are learning more about how horses learn and what types of reinforcement and motivation affect them,” Joanna observes. “I’ve used Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses to turn around a mare who came to me with some emotional baggage. They helped me mentally rehabilitate her. I’ve also used them to teach horses to stand still at the mounting block, among other things.”
Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses has grown significantly under Alltech’s umbrella, and that’s “just the beginning,” says Joanna. Horse owners should stock up on cookies and stay tuned for several more exciting developments planned for the New Year.