The Christmas trees decorated for the horses bred and trained at the Kunion Stud Farm are not only a real delicacy, but also an object to play with.

„Spruce branches can be given to horses, but only in small amounts, and pine trees should be avoided completely as they can cause health problems such as colic. Horses have a good sense of what they need – if they don't want it, they won't even touch the branches. If we see that they are willing to nibble, we occasionally give them a small amount. It should be an occasional treat, not a regular part of the diet," said Rūta Rimaitytė, owner of Kunionii stud farm.

An increasingly common Christmas tree in Lithuanian homes is the fir tree, but for horses it is not so tasty – only the bark of the trunk is taken off.

„Horses' diets consist mainly of hay and concentrated feeds such as oats, muesli or pellets. But when fresh grass is not available in winter, spruce twigs and shoots become a treat. Some horses enjoy them, but others won't touch them," said the horsewoman.

It's also a great "toy" for the horses' leisure time: "They bite and toss until the spruce tree is nothing but a trunk," she smiled.

True, residents are not encouraged to bring trees to the stud farm, as they already have enough of their own – during the festive season, Christmas trees decorated the stud farm and after the holidays they became a delicacy for the horses.