It is common these days to see small businesses that make gourmet and homemade horse treats. Some are cookies with fancy icing, or cupcakes with sprinkles. These fancy horse treats make special occasions more special for our horses. I have never purchased any gourmet horse treats for my horse, but one small business stood out to me… and that is Maddie Cakes Pony Treats.
Maddie Cakes Pony Treats began when Lilly, a 10-year-old was given her first pony, Maddie. When Lilly was 6 years old, she was gifted Maddie one Christmas. Lilly was thrilled to have her first pony and plans to keep Maddie forever. As with any other horse, Maddie loves being spoiled.
Lilly had started helping make horse treats for her mom’s equine photography clients. Not only was Lilly helping her mom out, but she also loved baking the treats in general. Lilly spent time watching cooking shows and had a spark of creativity to make fun and cute designs.
After watching many cooking and baking shows, Lilly spoke with her mom about making horse treats and selling them. Lilly’s mom loved the idea and helped Lilly perfect the treats. Lilly thought to call the treats “Maddie Cakes” because there would be no better name than the horse that is such an important part of her life.
I asked Lilly’s mom a few questions about Maddie’s Cakes Pony Treats.
Q: When did Lilly start her small business and what inspired her to do so?
A: “The business technically started in October 2022, but we have been making these treats for years. We have been making them as gifts for my photography clients.”
Q: What advice would you give young entrepreneurs that might want to start their own equine-related business?
A: “Just go for it, but it will not be easy in the beginning… it takes years to hit your goals. You will be in it for the long haul. This is our 5th business we have owned in the family.”
Q: What is the goal for Maddie Cakes Pony Treats?
A: “Maddie Cakes will be Lilly’s business completely once she is 18. We will build it as big as we can and make sure she is having fun, while also learning the ins and outs of building a business that will give her money to pay for horses in the future. I want her to not have to worry about money when she is in college or forced to give up her passion for horses when she is older because of the costs. Starting now and building this together will hopefully secure those dreams for her in the future.”
Q: We see some cute designs for the cupcakes, are you or Lilly brainstorming new ideas lately?
A: “I think I might be more obsessed with looking at new sprinkles than Lilly is. We are both very creative and create the designs together. We are always making prototype designs. Right now, we are working on spring and summer ideas.”
Q: Will cupcakes continue to be the focus of Maddie Cakes, or do you hope for more sweet treats in the future?
A: “Right now, it is all about the cupcakes. Lilly has a few ideas for some other sweets, but I am working on a low sugar option. However, I don’t know what the future holds. I want this to stay unique and not hop on the bandwagon of making cartoon flag horse treat cookies, there are already a few businesses that do those treats and do them very well.”
I thank Lilly’s mom for taking the time to tell me a bit more about Maddie Cakes Pony Treats, and I look forward to what the future holds for this small business! I can also tell you that my horse absolutely loves these treats, and I would recommend them to anyone who wants to spoil their horse! Go check out their website to learn more.
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