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

i do all sorts to mine while they eat, be it my riding horse, the youngsters or the brood mares!

i will leave them to eat if they come in cold and dithering, or upset etc, will let them eat and calm down, but a nice warm happy horse i have no qualms about jumping on while they eat :)
 
I often do rugs feet and other things while eating none of mine seem to mind, however if I had one that seemed to really dislike it and wanted to be left alone that would be fine too, If they want peace when eating fair enough.
 
Suechoccy said:
Mine have always been brushed, rugged, derugged and hoofpicked while eating as I want my neds to be as handle-able as possible in all situations.
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^^^ This ^^^ I do all of the above except hoof picking as he is fed in his stall. I feel that he should know who the boss is at all times !
 
I'm often short of time so my horses are handled while they're eating.

I've had one that was very aggressive at feeding times, or any association with food (like me carrying an empty bucket past him).

We soon came to an agreement. That if he wanted to live, he'd got to put up with me mucking out and doing stuff around him while he was eating.
 
SpruceRI said:
I'm often short of time so my horses are handled while they're eating.

I've had one that was very aggressive at feeding times, or any association with food (like me carrying an empty bucket past him).

We soon came to an agreement. That if he wanted to live, he'd got to put up with me mucking out and doing stuff around him while he was eating.
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lol! love this- sounds like me!!!!
 
Yes, whatever required be it feet picked out rugs changing etc. J takes forever to eat his hard feed preferring to hover a mouthful of hay here a mouth ful of feed there. I would have to wait until midnight for him to finish it. I don't see it as being any different to them having a Haynets while being shod or being tacked up. It useful having them standing still while I do what I need to do. Little mare also gets her feet picked out as she is eating as its better than following her around and around the stable. I don't view their feed as being any different to their hay.
As for it being "their time" I am sorry but I find that an odd concept. They have had x amount of time out in the field as "their time" .... And x amount of time in the stable as being "their time" ;):D
 
I must be really mean the because I rug up when having dinner. :o I generally give it then go do something else but if I'm in a hurry or it just works out that way they eat while I rug, skip out etc and deal with it.
 
I've never actually thought about it! But I think mine normally get left in terms of anything being done to them but I will be in the stable and maybe chatting or putting in water/nets or giving them a scratch. I say think, because there is so much I do automatically, it all goes in a blur! If they are eating hay nets though they get molested completely :D
 
I usually leave mine to eat in peace but if they do not like being handled whilst eating then guess what - they get handled!

I feed 17 dogs every evening, all are loose, none fight or steal each others, and they are left alone to do so but should I need to take their meat away from them then I can and if a child pets them whilst eating then they just accept it.
 
Almost forgot about this thread, but just wanted to add...

nikkimariet said:
Sorry, but that is a first class ticket to getting double barrelled for being perceived as a threat.
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Any yet, funnily enough, that has never happened to me. I think the reason I am not perceived as a threat is because I avoid giving that impression. That works well for me anyway, even with horses that people would label 'dominant', including stallions.

*You* should be at the top of the pecking order. At all times. No exceptions.
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The handler should always be in control, no doubt about that. If you aren't in control, there's every chance the horse will be instead - which is asking for trouble.

However... Control and social dominance are two completely separate and different things. One can have control without being (perceived as) dominant, and dominance doesn't confer control except in the narrow sense of access to limited resources. Imo, it is foolish to equate one with the other, and both overly simplistic and practically unhelpful to shoehorn all interactions with horses into the framework of a pecking-order hierarchy.

Does a horse consider stables to be higher in the pecking order? How about haynets, electric fences, predators, buckets of feed, bot flies, rainstorms, horse walkers, radio-controlled cars [*], lead ropes? All these control, by causing, restricting and/or directing a horse's movement, but I personally doubt they are viewed as dominant by horses. A person can control a horse very effectively by exhibiting aspects of the above, or directly utilising them as appropriate. (And that's just on the ground; riding is a whole other world, though it uses the same basic elements, especially pressure and release. Does a horse consider the person in the saddle as dominant?)

If you start acting like a horse and trying to emulate the body language of a dominant horse, the horse may start to view you in that way. That's not to say that body language isn't useful for communicating - it is, and is quite natural. But why would you want to go to the bother of pretending to be alpha when there are so much easier and more direct means at your disposal to obtain control? Why would anyone want to embroil themselves in a potential power struggle for being top of the pecking order? Apparently because of the popular belief that it is necessary. Hmmm, okay, but then the success of all those who don't rely on these methods needs to be explained. Furthermore, I can tell you there are some horses - mainly more aggressive stallions, but also a few mares - that respond dangerously to confrontation and attempts to impress one's 'social superiority' on them.

Now think about how a dominant horse can control other horses. What can she actually do? It seems to me pretty much the only thing she can cause another horse to do is... go away. That has its uses, especially when competing for highly desirable but limited food, but I want to do a lot more with horses than just send them away from me. The reason I don't make a big fuss when horses are eating is because I don't want to be seen as competing with them for it. That doesn't stop me being in control of the food and the situation though.


[*] For example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVLaV7LEH-Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1BDTBdEMNE
 
If someone started brushing my hair of changing my clothes whilst I was eating my dinner, they would get told in no uncertain terms to jog on!
I leave mine to eat.....although the few occassions I have HAD to either take away a bucket mid feed, I have done so, without incident.
 
Not sure if I've already said this earlier, but it proves little anyway. Lots of very dominant horses will allow the bottom ranking horse to stay close whilst they eat, because they are too weak to be a threat. So if you believe handling an eating horse proves your dominance, its equally possible the horse isn't bothered because they view you as too far below them to be a threat.
When we first got daughters pony as a very fear aggressive yearling, & as we worked on taking that fear away, pony was only not a real danger to adults near her because of her tiny size. She would fly to the stable door, fence etc at anyone walking past. However my then 3yr old daughter could sit & chat to her, & pony loves small kids. Only logical explanation is small children are not deemed as a threat. I would warn a strange adult to be alert handling her in her stable. Whereas a child would be fine.
 
I leave mine in peace whilst eating. As other have said, I wouldn't want someone getting me dressed whilst trying to eat my breakfast.
 
Depends on the horse - if it doesn't like you messing about with him when he's eating (current horse doesn't) then leave him alone. Previous 2 horses didn't care and I would rug up/brush when they were eating.
 
amymay said:
I actually can't think of any good reason to handle anything whilst it's eating.
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I think with some people it's almost to prove a point. I'm not talking about horses that don't mind us bimbling around them doing rugs and stuff when they're eating. I'm talking about horses that really don't like it. Some people seem to revel in the fact that they have been able to impose their will on the unwilling for those few minutes in the day.

Fburton talks a lot of sense as usual.
 
haven't read all the replies... i know, im bad, but am in a rush!

I have ALWAYS handled my horses while they are eating. i did it with my 2 y.o who is now 18, and i did it from the day her foal was born. i expect to be able to groom/pick out feet/do up leg straps etc while they are eating, and walk behind them without fear of having my head kicked in.

xx
 
So, for examaple, none of you who don't handle when feeding would give a horse a bucket of chaff or something to munch while you were sewing plaits in (therefore keeping it still, happy and it's head down so you don't need a ladder!)? I just do this as a matter of course!? (possibly becuase I have a very large horse and very short legs).
 
whisp&willow said:
haven't read all the replies... i know, im bad, but am in a rush!

I have ALWAYS handled my horses while they are eating. i did it with my 2 y.o who is now 18, and i did it from the day her foal was born. i expect to be able to groom/pick out feet/do up leg straps etc while they are eating, and walk behind them without fear of having my head kicked in.

xx
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Yes but - did they ever object violently to you doing this? Ears back, lunging at you with teeth bared, turning to kick etc? Or, as is more normal, were they reasonably OK about it.
Most of the horses I've owned and loaned haven't really minded me doing stuff with them when they're eating. However, I've had a couple that have been really upset about it. Understanding that they weren't behaving that way simply to be "naughty", "aggressive" or "dominant" but were genuinely stressed, probably because of happenings before I met them - I just left them to relax for that short time each day. Gradually they got calmer about the whole thing. Why get into confrontation with a horse that is eating? Why cause stress to a horse that is eating? Surely a recipe for stomach problems if nothing else.
It takes a few minutes for a horse to eat it's hard feed. So however busy we are, there is really no reason to bother them during that time. We don't have to rug, groom etc however busy we are. My mare who was food-defensive was stabled at night so I used to sort her rugs out etc before putting her in the stable. Then have her hay hung up before she went in, put her feed in and go home leaving her in peace. I think some people have a drive to dominate horses in all things and at any given moment. I don't honestly think that horses operate that way.
 
Lucyad said:
So, for examaple, none of you who don't handle when feeding would give a horse a bucket of chaff or something to munch while you were sewing plaits in (therefore keeping it still, happy and it's head down so you don't need a ladder!)? I just do this as a matter of course!? (possibly becuase I have a very large horse and very short legs).
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Hay net maybe. But if I need mine to put their heads down I ask them to put their heads down and they do. Interesting point because I've had two horses that were defensive at feed time, but neither were bothered when tied up outside with a hay net. The mare though was quite defensive about her stable, she didn't really like being in there and certainly didn't like anyone in there with her, so with her the problem around hard feed might have all been part of the picture. My gelding though is anxious about his feed when fed in the field. He will get a bit threatening if you push him, but it's plain that he is like that because he is anxious from the way he behaves when his food is put down.
 
Leave well alone always. I like the thought of being able to potter around them if I absolutely need to but 99% of the time will change rugs etc before tea, chuck them in, close door, go home.

On the 'dominance' front or whatever it was being labelled at have known a couple of horses who hated somebody even walking past with their tea's. My own horse for his own confused and anxiety driven reasons/possible ulcers used to rear and double barrel anything within a 20ft radius, even in the field with no other horses. I knew he never meant any harm towards anything and I did once go in with him and his tea but I would never run the risk. He's the sweetest, kindest animal in the world but it was 'his thing' I accepted it. I mean seriously, what would you do? Thrash the poor animal for doing something that to him means he's protecting his grub? He was in a poor state when we bought him.

On a serious note, why would you need to do anything more strenuous than occasionally changing a rug whilst running very late and even then I'd prefer to be a couple of minutes late than risk being bitten or kicked
 
I expect mine to be handled at all times and for any reason. I have had to feed and handle if I'm in a rush and I dond mind face pulling but anything else and they get chased off it and I take it away.
 
I don't hassle them when they are eating hard feed, I prefer to give them the enjoyment of it while I scoot around and do little jobs. I will however straighten a rug on my way past or pick up a poo in the stable etc. As far as manners are concerned, I expect all of mine to move back when I enter with their bucket and to wait until I pop it down, I expect them to move over if asked and I certainly expect to be able to move their feed bowl if I need to while they are in the middle of eating, simple basic manners. Otherwise, I let them be. If they are eating hay then yes, I will expect to groom, change rugs et all.
 
I don't see why they should be bothered once they realise you are not going to grab handfuls of their feed and shove it in your face. Surely they learn we are not interested in eating their food so there's no need to be upset with us being there. My horse just doesn't react if I touch her when she's eating, and would happily distract with food if it meant she would stand still for me to do something with her mane or be less bothered about standing still in general. Honestly if we're comparing it to our eating then I think I'd be more bothered about someone riding me and making me trot round while I had a poo!
 
If the horse is alone in the field I might potter around but I still feel it is fair to leave them to enjoy their meal in peace.

I do however take advantage on my Clydesdale x's love of food!

With food in his face he will allow you to pull his mane or to clip his heels with no fuss. Try without food and you risk being crushed or leapt on.
 
My tb mare was neglected before i got her, out all winter with no rug shelter or feed. as a result she used to buck and bronc when eating, and kick walls etc to protect her feed but i dont blame her as shes obv worried someone will take it from her...therefore she was left alone as anyone being around stressed her out. wheb she had her foal the foal did start to copy so once she was weaned u did make a point of handling her when eating. had a few flying feet but she soon learned. I can walk around hwe when eating and change rugs if i have to but her reward for behaving is to be left alone to eat in piece. the mare settled in time too altho u still wouldnt really want to stand behind her when she has her grub.
 
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