Hand-fed Treats

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mickey

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Do you feed you horse treats by hand? Do you let others feed him/her by hand?
I always used to be really against it, esp as my horse can pull faces in the stable anyway. Now I feed him treats occasionally myself, but I forbid anyone else to because I don't want to encourage him to bite them. There is a sign outside his door saying please don't feed treats. It has come to light that one person in particular ignores that and feeds him. I personally think that's not on.
What are your views on this issue?
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I'm in a similar situation myself. I have to be careful when and where I give my horse treats because if I give him them in his stable and walk away he bites/cribs on his stable door after (doesn't do it otherwise). There is one girl at my yard who continues to give him treats all the time despite the fact that I've asked her not to and have even explained my reasons to her. I know she does this, she's even admitted she can't help herself because he nudges her all the time for treats (he'd soon stop nudging if she stopped giving!).

People shouldn't feed your horse titbits when you've told them not to - afterall they'll be the first to complain if they get bitten !!!!
 
i give Frankie a carrot every day after riding, i break it up and make him do stretches for it! i only do it then though, and not if im just seeing him in his stable. i dont feed him titbits in the field either.

i think if someone had a sign up then people should respect that; if i put one up id want no one to feed frankie, and if someone on the yard had a sign up id respect their wishes. its only fair IMO xx
 
The question of feeding treats by hand seems to be irrelevant here, the point is that you have asked other people NOT to and, as such, they should respect that. If I ever find anyone feeding any of mine anything, without asking first, I get very angry.
 
I give my horse a mint after a ride but that is it by hand as he gets pushy and nippy if given things by hand. My horse is at home so I don't have the problem of other people giving him things but if someone looks after him while I am on hols I ask them not to and they respect that.
 
I give my horse treats by hand all the time (runs away and hides) he's very polite and not at all pushy about it. My daughter feeds him polos and he's really gentle.
He's normally a grumpy git but if I give him polo's or sugar lumps it cheers him up!!

I know this isn't usual but if he started getting funny about it I would stop!

Sam x
 
Monty Roberts suggests this practice be avoided, however I reward my horse with hand fed treats however I am consistent at the times when the reward is given hence I have found I don't have problems in that area, plenty of other problems though to worry about
 
I think people should always ask if they want to give your pony a treat, its just manners to ask anyway.

I give mine treats by hand, all except one. I dont think it generally encourages biting unless the horse is prone to it anyway! The one I dont feed by hand because he does nip already so I dont want to make it worse, and he'll bully me for food if he knows I have any.
 
I give my girl treats by hand and she is always very gentle. I always ask the owners permission, if I am feeding her polos etc and there are other horses around - wouldn't want them to feel left out!. The chances of any other owners on our yard giving out treats are negligible - in fact they are such bi***es that I'd doubt if they would do anything if my horse was in serious trouble, never mind giving them treats!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I give my horse treats by hand all the time (runs away and hides) he's very polite and not at all pushy about it. My daughter feeds him polos and he's really gentle.
He's normally a grumpy git but if I give him polo's or sugar lumps it cheers him up!!

I know this isn't usual but if he started getting funny about it I would stop!

Sam x

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto - he is well mannered when I feed him by hand, so I see no problem with it. I can trust him with 3yo children feeding him by hand, he will suck the food off your hand, then spit your hand back out
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, he would never bite.

The odd horse does get pushy, but all the horses on our yard are fed by hand with no problems bar one, but he is very dominant with people in any case.
 
I occascionally give things by hand buy very rarely. My pony is far too clever for his own good, if you give him one treat he will mug the life out of you for the rest of the day for more treats. He's gets too bolshy with it so I just don't feed them. If I eat an apple on the way to the yard he gets the apple core when I get there, but I don't give horsey treats.

I don't mind others giving him treats as long as they've asked me first and I'm there, but I wouldn't be happy if it was going on all the time and when I wasn't around.
 
I've just bought a 2yr old filly, and the owners of my field tell me they've been giving my lot treats over the fence. I said I didn't mind once in a while - but please not everyday.

Anyway, I've had filly for 2 weeks and the owners little girl came skipping over the yesterday and said that it's really funny when they try to give treats, that my Shetland chases the new filly off, tries to kick her and my other girlie gets wound up...then they can't get near her. I'm furious!

Especially as in the last 2 days she's tried to nip me twice which she didn't show any signs of when I got her.

I asked the little girl not to give treats as it can teach ponies to nip and cause in-fighting, but she just looked coy and walked off, so I'm going to have to go and see the parents and explain.

I know it won't go down that well because they already think I'm a fuss-arse.
 
I'm terrible for giving treats and have recently made a bit effort to stop doing it, my mare is too much of a lady to bite but is becoming pushy and always asking. She does not do it the yard owner who never offers treats. I wouldn't dream of giving anything to another persons horse without asking first.
 
My pony was taught by a previous owner to 'beg' for a treat - yes, it looks cute but it's a pain, esp. when he has loaded well on the lorry and I make the mistake of calling him a good boy, legs waving in the air as you are trying to tie him up
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I feed him treats by hand, say after a hack or something but I throw the Shetlands on the floor as they are more likely to be nippy.

I think it is wrong that people still feed treats if there is a sign up advising not to
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I dont give treats by hand as I have a nipper but after a ride put a carrot in a bucket on the ground for him. I like Monty Roberts saying "the horse shouldn't associate the human body with food!"
 
Merlin is not pushy bolshy or nippy so I do feed treats by hand.... If I am eating something he just looks at me with a soppy 'I thinkI would enjoy some of that mummy.... pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesse' look on his face

How can i resist???
 
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