Feeding, do you handle your horses when they are eating?

Enfys

Enfys

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Reading a recent thread about youngsters kicking out got me wondering what people think about handling at feedtime.

Do you think a horse should be used to being handled when it is eating?

Or, that it should be left in peace to have his grub?

I am seriously hot on manners and won't tolerate any kind of rudeness, but I believe that a horse should be left in peace when eating. Maybe not a good thing, but none of my horses are ever handled when they have their faces in the trough.
 
I agree - at bucket time they should be left in peace - I wouldn't like to be bothered when eating my tea!

I do handle, groom, do feet, rug, tack up etc when he has a haynet though
 
I generally leave them alone, but at the same time expect to be able to handle them without being scowled at / kicked at!
 
I leave them alone when eating too. But, I do expect to be able to go near if I please. Both of mine I whip night rugs off whilst eating am. But tbh neither is bothered, & only rugged in winter when am is a rush.
 
I trim her ears when she's munching because it's the only time she doesn't notice! Hehe :D but aside from that a long as she'll move her bum out of the way of the tackroom so I can lock it she's left alone.
 
I will give a scratch while out in the field and eating and expect them to have manners around feed, whether by themselves or in a group. None barge for treats etc in group. Only littlun won't touch food when I'm there as it means it has wormer in.
However I don't like full on fussing/round the back end etc with feed. Same as I hate the test with rescue dogs of winding them up while eating. Setting them up to fail.
 
I tend to chuck their buckets at the back of the stable so they can eat whilst I still potter back and forth. So although I don't handle them I don't really leave them completely alone either as I'm buzzing about in the background the whole time. If I'm in a real rush I'll do rugs whilst they eat. Neither of them particularly seem to mind though. I had one that did (would try and boot you if disturbed whilst eating bucket feed) so I left him be. So I suppose, in summary, it depends :p
 
Try not to handle when they've having feeds, but they're ok having their rugs changed while eating if in a hurry, and they're very well mannered horses.

In summer 2011, I was helping a friend getting a 4/5yo into work, and having brushed it off, gave it a small bucket of feed, went to move away from it and it turned and did this to me...

DSC00624.jpg


:( :( It was a vile mannered thing to handle on the ground.
 
in part i agree, i wouldnt like to be disturbed when eating, but mine lives out so when she comes in for her grub i tie her outside our stable if the other one is in - always supervised - and she will sometimes swing her bum round to stand parallel to the stable more often than not blocking a door - so sometimes she does need to be moved when eating to let other horses in and out of stables as its not really practical to wait for her - similar when i skip out if shes in the stable eating i need to bable to move her around ect i know that i can handle her with food around but most of the time i chose not too. i also expect her to do things when i ask no excuses and dont think food should be one of them - if i need to pick her feet out whilst shes eating that shouldnt be a problem - doesnt mean this is what i do i wouldnt disturb her whilst eating for the sake of it but sometimes i do have to - hopefully that makes sense :L
 
I tend to leave mine to it when he's eating, but it's also the best time to do things like soak feet, treat wounds, etc., because he's completely preoccupied with the contents of his bucket.
 
I do if I need to but generally I leave them . In the morning I feed and then go back in the house so they eat up in peace and quiet
 
I 'think' they should be left at feeding time but I will sometimes do things while she is eating if I am in a rush, plait her tail or change her rug. I try not to especially since her habits have changed and she kicked out while eating the other day - I was plaiting her tail at the time - see thread titled 'ever been really lucky while doing something really stupid'. :eek:
 
In an ideal world it would be quiet time
But this time of year i get home from work in the dark, so i catch, bring onto hardstanding and feed while changing rugs, picking out feet etc. I don't have hours and i do it all in the dark by headtorch. It works, they don't mind as they're munching and i can multitask.
 
Yes. Routine is : find dry patch of field, place bucket down, call horse over, he sticks his nose in the bucket and offers his front left hoof :). By the time he has finished his token dinner + minerals, his hooves have been cleaned and sprayed.

He's in the middle of a field, and not tied up, and the other horses have their own dinners, so all is calm and there are no resource guarding or space guarding issues.

I wouldn't do it if there was even the hint that he or any of the others were uncomfortable with the routine.
 
LeannePip said:
in part i agree, i wouldnt like to be disturbed when eating, but mine lives out so when she comes in for her grub i tie her outside our stable if the other one is in - always supervised - and she will sometimes swing her bum round to stand parallel to the stable more often than not blocking a door - so sometimes she does need to be moved when eating to let other horses in and out of stables as its not really practical to wait for her - similar when i skip out if shes in the stable eating i need to bable to move her around ect i know that i can handle her with food around but most of the time i chose not too. i also expect her to do things when i ask no excuses and dont think food should be one of them - if i need to pick her feet out whilst shes eating that shouldnt be a problem - doesnt mean this is what i do i wouldnt disturb her whilst eating for the sake of it but sometimes i do have to - hopefully that makes sense :L
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Perfect sense - I have occasionally picked out feet etc whilst he has his nose in a bucket, and he's been fine. Although I think they should be left be whilst eating, I also think that occasionally doing things with them will ensure they are not getting food aggressive... if that makes sense? :o
 
Yep. 3 get fed outside and have to have rugs changed etc, and feeding time is the only time they're close enough to wade to in the mud carrying a rug, which no doubt is itself muddy! I figure they get to spend the only 23 hours and 50 mins eating in peace, so they can deal with this.

One can be a bit fly with his hind legs, and he's caught me in the past, and he can sometimes kick out if left entirely alone, but he's 26 now so I know him well enough to it get out of his way. If stabled to be fed he kicks the stable to pieces, he likes the sound of it I think! :D
 
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I always change rugs while they are eating, with three to do I often dont have time to wait around for them to finish.

They are fine with it, to the point that they will even lift their heads while I do the front straps.

Even "The Beast" is fine, and she can be iffy about some things.

Never thought about it before :o
 
Rider Lizzie that is some awesome bruise!

I can handle all mine but prefer to leave them alone to eat in peace. The OH was a pain at one time, he would constantly pat and stroke the horse. I did it to him one night when he was having his dinner, he got the point then!
 
My mare has food issues, she was very pushy and food agressive when I got her and actually kicked a hole in her stable wall when someone looked over her door whilst she was eating once :o

So I went about teaching her some meal time etiquette. Now I can easily change rugs etc. if needs be while she eats without fear of being kicked into next week (I usually don't but if I'm in a rush the odd time I will). She actually prefers to be able to see me while she eats as she can just relax and have her feed without looking around to see whats 'coming to get her' after every mouthful. Funny creature, she is.
 
I really don't see the issue with handling them while they are eating? I tend not to and I don't groom as I don't think they want dust and hair blowing in their dinner but I see nothing wrong with changing rugs or picking out feet if I'm in a rush. If I'm doing Genio's rug while he eats he'll lift his head up when I want to do the front clips, doesn't look bothered in the slightest. He has 20 hours a day which is his own time.
 
I hate bad manners around food, and I do tend to stand near when they are eating so they know I am not going to interrupt or take it away, sometimes I'll give them a bit of a stroke if I feel like it or use it as an opportunity to get rid of burrs in forelock which my past two have not liked normally, They are both fine to be touched when eating. My horses always live out though so maybe there is less anticipation and getting wound up with the others next door getting fed etc. I did know one horse who was a complete monster about feeding time and I would make him tolerate me walking around semi near poo picking or bringing in hay but he would kick out etc so best keep ones distance!
 
I tend to do rugs, pick feet out or occasionally brush while he is eating :o bad person! He isnt rude arround his food and as he is tied up waiting to go back out when he eats it saves me time. When he is in I tend to chuck it in just before I leave so he is left then.
 
Depends which horse - with the geldings I tend to change their rugs while they're eating to save time and pick their feet out, they couldn't care less and are happy to move from one side to the other while I'm pottering around them.
Had the shock of my life when I first got my mare as I gave her her feed, walked back in to tie her haynet up and she started violently double barrelling at me and trying to get me out of her "room"!
I have worked on this with her because while I accept that no horse particularly wants to be messed with while it's eating, I expect to be able to do the basic things like bringing in more water / walking in/out the stable without being attacked! I'm glad to say that my hard work has paid off as she's now ok with me wandering about in the stable, popping in to add more water / hay. She's also a lot more well mannered and will stand back as I come in and wait for me to put the bucket down and step away before she dives in. But I'm a lot more wary with her and don't change her rug or pick her feet out while she's eating - I do it before she comes in as she's quite a possessive thing and I don't want to push my luck!
 
Mine have all been handled on many an occasion while eating there tea and I think its important that you should be able to do pretty much anything. If I have any wounds to see to they will normally get sorted out while the horse is eating its feed. I have one TB gelding who came to me as dangerous especially while eating his tea and after a cpl of months I can do anything with him. Most of the time I leave them to eat in peace though. :)
 
I try to leave them alone, but do expect to be able to do things if I have to.

For example, when I ride Frank during the week, the yard (full livery) gets fed usually whilst I am still in the school with him. When I get back in, his bucket is hiding behind his open door. I expect him to go in his stable and have his sadle and bridle removed, and then I give him his tea. I then take the time to put his tack away including removing the seat saver, adjusting the stirrups, cleaning the bit and wiping everything over ready for his owner to use next. This takes me about five minutes, by which time the "mad rush" to eat is over and I go back to take his boots off and rug him whilst he is hoovering the floor.

Now it's colder, I will often give him his food and then rug him up so he doesn't chill in the five minutes I'm in the tack room. I don't expect to be threatened in any way whilst I am doing this! I don't fuss around, though, and still leave his boots until I come back out.

It just seems... well, polite!
 
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