Does anyone feed their horses treats on a regular basis?

Ours get a piece of carrot in the morning after I have walked over to check them, take off rugs etc. (they live out at home, so I can see them out of the window when I get up but always walk across to them).
Murph always has a polo after he has jumped a round at a show. He will come out of the ring and straight over to me for his treat , but he has never attempt to nip me. Years ago I used to give my old pony a polo from the saddle after we had jumped, I stopped doing it because he used to come to a halt and turn his head round before we had even left the ring sometimes.
 
Sounds like mine may be the most spoilt on here!

She has 3 horse treats in the morning - 1 when I get the treats out, 1 just before I take her headcollar off, and 1 just after. This is to stop her charging off round the field. She also went through a phase of rearing when I turned her out, so anything to keep her focussed and calm is ok with me!

She's also naughty to catch so she has 1 treat when she has her headcollar on (not before or she'll take it and run off!). Then she has another when she's tied up, 1 when I finish grooming, 1 just before she goes into her stable (to stop her rushing in), 1 before I take her heacollar off and 1 after.

She doesn't ask for them at any other time (ok, not from me, but she does mug random people!), doesn't nip, push, barge, or look in pockets (unless she can smell the polo's and my hand is in the polo pocket). She isn't nasty in any way. She asks by putting her ears right forward, standing on tip toes, and leaning towards whoever she's mugging. She might go as far as putting her nose on their pocket or nuzzling a closed fist.

So yeah, she's a spoilt little madam, she knows her treat routine and asks for them then, but she's very polite, and at 29, I doubt this will change
smile.gif
 
When I get back after a hack I give my man a polo (after slackening his girth) and he expects it. He's not got nippy or anything in all the time I've done it, and I do it really coz if we part company out in the middle of nowhere on a hack, I hope he'll come back to me for a sweetie instead of pissing off home, that's my logic to it really.
 
Blimey, I must be one of the only ones who doesn't give treats! Mine are like OP's, will get nippy and pushy very quickly if given treats. My mare is 22 and has learnt she rarely gets anything from me so doesn't push for it, however her sharer regularly gives her carrots and she's forever in her pockets and pushing her around.
My gelding gets really nippy, I never treat him. He has a new loaner and within 15 mins of her giving him polos he was nipping fingers again so I had to enforce no treat rule!
My two have similar characters tho - both very dominant and both herd leaders so I guess maybe temperament has something to do with it.
Really winds me up when people give treats without asking too!
tongue.gif
 
Top