Posts Tagged ‘Work Horses’

I know this question really depends on the person, but in general, how long should a person be riding/working with horses before owning a horse. A friend of mine has been riding for 3 years and working at a barn for 3 1/2 years, and she feels she is ready to own a horse. Do you think this is too short of a time?

One of the joys of happy horse relationships is offering your four-hoofed friend a tasty morsel. However, there is as much difference of opinion about whether or not one should feed horses treats as any other aspect of horse training. If you would like to share cookies, carrots, and other equine delicacies with your horse, here are a few basic rules and concepts to consider.

Treats Are Not Rewards

Unless you are teaching your horse to do tricks, and small bits of feed are used as reinforcement for teaching specific cues, horse cookies are best used only on special occasions. The main objection lodged against feeding horses carrots and apples is that it teaches horses to bite and may cause horses to get pushy as they search for another cookie.

Don’t Associate Treats With Work

Horses work to earn their living, just like the rest of us. If your boss started giving you a bonus every time you showed up to work you would get pretty upset the next time you clocked in and there was no bonus. Horses are no different. A treat is just that, something special. Bring your horse’s favorite snack out when they are thinking of nothing other than you. Not getting tacked up, not getting a bath, not getting into the trailer… but when there’s nothing on their little equine mind but you. You are presenting your horse with a gift, not a paycheck.

Safety First

Offer treats with your hand open, fingers together, and palm up. Provide a little support as you let the horse’s lips take the treat from you. Sure, some folks have their horse take a carrot from between their own teeth – that’s a trick. Some people can also do a full reining pattern bareback and bridleless. If your experience doesn’t measure up to the experts, choose the safer road.

Be aware of your horse’s expression and body language. If you even get a whiff of pushiness or impatience, walk away. You always get more of what you reward. If your horse begins to demand that cookie, and you give it to him, you have just taught him to be more demanding the next time. Treats are a gift, not dinner.

Unless your horse is soft and obedient, no treat.

Three’s A Crowd When There Are Treats

If there are other horses around at cookie time, be careful to note their reactions in addition to those of your horse. Feeding cookies to more than one horse at a time requires you to stay in control of where all the hooves are. If you don’t have the leadership established to direct who gets the first cookie, etc, then don’t take a chance. Horses can get rough with each other and with you if there’s a cookie to be had.

Best Horse Treats

Horses are not all born knowing that carrots and apples make good treats. There are many commercially prepared treats available. Some horses like peppermints, some prefer gingersnaps. Many horse cookies have nutritional supplements in them. How many and how often you feed treats, as well as how big your cookie budget is, will determine what will be on your horse’s cookie menu. The best horse treat is the one your horse likes most. You won’t have any trouble figuring out which treats your horse prefers.

Carrots as Hydration

There are good reasons to use carrots as a source of hydration rather than as a treat. When trailering long distances or for horses who don’t drink well tied to a trailer, you can use carrots as a way to supplement your horse’s water intake.

The easiest way to teach young horses to eat carrots and apples is by feeding them to their mother before they’re weaned. If Mama loves carrots, Baby will learn to as well. For older horses, break carrots into one-inch pieces and mix in their grain or pellets during their regular feeding time. Start with just a few pieces at a time. Most horses will eventually learn to eat carrots, and then you can feed larger pieces when you are concerned about maintaining hydration.

Treats Are Special Gifts

Whenever you’re confused about whether or not to feed your horse treats, just think about what is appropriate for children. We don’t give special presents to a kid having a tantrum. We don’t reward a child who is sulky or stubborn. Horse treats are special gifts, that’s why they are called ‘treats.’

Just use your common sense – make that ‘horse’ sense, and both you and your horse will enjoy sharing treats.

Whether the topic is personal success or training stallions, Lynn Baber brings years of experience to readers and audiences. Highly credentialed in issues of leadership, relationship, and most things equine, Lynn has a unique perspective not found elsewhere. Read excerpts from Lynn’s latest book, “AMAZING GRAYS-AMAZING GRACE: Pursuing relationship with God, horses, and one another” at http://www.AmazingGrays.us. It may also be found on Amazon.com. Lynn is a retired equine professional and is a director of Amazing Grays Ministry.

Author: Lynn Baber
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