Anyone feed treats when schooling??

soulfull

soulfull

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I have never done so before BUT the other day was doing some lateral work, Micah tried so hard. I just happened to have polos in my pocket so I gave him one.

I asked him to do it again and he tried twice as hard and 'got it'

So over the last few days I have given him the odd polo when he has done something really well and it has really given him even more incentive to try harder. he has only had a max of 4 per session so not masses

anyone else??

I know Carl Hester says he feeds the odd one or two during training to get them mouthing nicely so don't see it could harm
 
I always have polos in my pocket. It's the only time they get treats and they get one for particularly good work- usually 2 or 3 per session
 
soulfull said:
I have never done so before BUT the other day was doing some lateral work, Micah tried so hard. I just happened to have polos in my pocket so I gave him one.

I asked him to do it again and he tried twice as hard and 'got it'

So over the last few days I have given him the odd polo when he has done something really well and it has really given him even more incentive to try harder. he has only had a max of 4 per session so not masses

anyone else??

I know Carl Hester says he feeds the odd one or two during training to get them mouthing nicely so don't see it could harm
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if you give the treat immediately he has been doing something and you do this consitantly then indeed he will try harder :D ( its the basis of positive reinforcement and / or clicker training).


If you just give a treat at the end of a schooling session it nice and its pleasant for the horse but its not really something that links in to a horses psyche to make him try harder next time ;)

my answer however to your question does any one else

oh yes ;) I clicker train :D
 
Yes, but mine backfired a bit - my old horse got to the point that he knew when he had done something well and would crane his neck round to look for a polo, which I did find amusing. One day though we had been in the school about 3 minutes, just ambling round and he halted and looked at me asking for a polo. I really got the giggles (but he didn't get a polo) - he was far too clever though, and I think was trying to work out how little he needed to do for a reward!
 
I have never even thought of this before! :/ Sounds like it works though, I'm guna give it a go! A few polos won't do any harm right? :D And it sure beats a pat I bet haha :D
 
brilliant to consider it ...... but before doing it so learn about it first just as you would do any aspect of training a horse..... there are "rules" to learn so that you dont experience what happens if you get it "wrong".

you need consistancy, good timing and patience. and work in small steps to avoid frustration. You need to plan what you are going to teach and break it ddown in small achaivable steps.

I do advise reading up on it either on line or in books........ loads of them around and its personal preference as to how easy or hard each is to take on board and put into practice..... some I find hard going like alex kurland preferring folk like ben hart

If you want any info please pm me


and polos ..... whilst delectable and desirable are just as bad for horses as for us .. I use herbal treats lol
 
Yep, I use polos if she has done a particularly good piece of work.

I also give her a polo after she has walked around to warm up to get some moisture in her mouth, ready for work.

I am sure I have read that Ruth Edge is a big advocate of treats during schooling.
 
My horse doesn't get treats. I can see how it is positive reinforcement though, but I'm not sure I would during schooling, but I know a lot of people do at the end.
 
Yes, they can be very useful. When I was training my dressage horse, I would tape a clicker to the end of my whip and treat her every four or five clicks (can't treat every time when riding, obviously) but the click became a reward in itself and she knew she was on the right lines if I was teaching something new. I found it especially useful for teaching medium and extended trot as she could be lazy at times! My gelding, on the other hand is very forward going and used to walk off from the mounting block the second he felt my foot in the stirrup. Feeding him a treat when he stood has worked wonders.
 
Wagtail said:
Yes, they can be very useful. When I was training my dressage horse, I would tape a clicker to the end of my whip and treat her every four or five clicks (can't treat every time when riding, obviously) but the click became a reward in itself and she knew she was on the right lines if I was teaching something new. I found it especially useful for teaching medium and extended trot as she could be lazy at times! My gelding, on the other hand is very forward going and used to walk off from the mounting block the second he felt my foot in the stirrup. Feeding him a treat when he stood has worked wonders.
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Yeah I have done similar just used my voice instead of a clicker so that 'good boy' is the trigger:D But reinforcement with treats in the middle of schooling is not something I have done before
 
Shouldn't feed sugary treats at all. A horse can't tell you when it's got toothache. We care so much about the horse's mouth and go to such lengths to find the right bit to correct problems. Polo mints are introducing a potential future fiend. Feed specialist horse treats instead.
 
I do, Che always gets a polo when I first get on, as a reward for standing still and waiting for me to adjust girth etc (ex racer), he will get another for a perfect square halt whilst schooling or for moving away from my leg and standing to open and close gates out hacking. He is clever and knows when he has been good, will stand and twist his nose round to nudge my boot to remind me how good he has been :)
 
hauterouter said:
Shouldn't feed sugary treats at all. A horse can't tell you when it's got toothache. We care so much about the horse's mouth and go to such lengths to find the right bit to correct problems. Polo mints are introducing a potential future fiend. Feed specialist horse treats instead.
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What rubbish! You'd have to be feeding them all day every day and seeing as most horses don't get past 30 and the teeth grow and wear away your comments are ridiculous

I feed treats when I am teaching new things - gun training or doing something out of the ordinary. Mostly just rubs and scratching as a reward
 
I trained a Clydie mare to stand at the mounting block by, amongst other things, giving her a treat when I was ready to move off. Now I do it as a matter of course with every horse.
 
Yes! When i first had a big heavy cob on loan, i used to ride with a bum bag around my waist with chopped up carrots on it. When he had been good he would be given a piece of carrot. Obviously, as time went by he had to work really hard to get any, to start with he got a piece for virtually anything!
 
I took one of my racehorses to a Pammy Hutton clinic when he was 4 weeks off the track. Every time he did something right we stopped and she gave him a polo, I think it made him one of the best horses I have ever ridden on the flat, he did everything so naturally and all because he had such a good experience early on.
 
Mine was terrible for resisting into halt and throwing his head up. We started giving him a treat every time he halted and softened, and then progressed to treats for square halts only. He know does perfect square halts even out hacking!
 
Yes, it's how Star learned to stand still and wait until I was safely on board.

Re the comments about sugar and teeth...... I tried herbal treats instead NS found that the residue collected around the bit in the corners of Stars mouth. Cue a sore mouth!
 
i give my horse a polo or four at the start to encourage softening in the mouth as she is a chew on the bit freak!! it always works and makes her so much softer !!!
 
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