horses that don't 'do' treats?

[Shooting Star]

Finally got my new boy today (woo hoo!) but he's a funny lad, loves a haynet and thinks you giving him a handful of hay is great but try to give him a carrot, mint or anything else and he turns his nose up at it.

Don't think it's just a settling in thing as he was like it in his old home too but I've never before come across a horse that doesn't like the odd treat - guess the greedy po class isn't going to be for him!!

Bit of a pointless post really as it's obviously not doing him any harm but just wondered if anybody else had come across this before.

 

[Vibella]

Mine is the same, spits polos out if you sneak then into his feed, doesn't do carrotts or apples either!

 

[Shantara]

Yup, one of the ex racers at my yard doesn't do treats. I held my hand out with a polo and he just looked at me like "I would shake your hand, but as you can see, I have hooves"

Like yours, he will take a handful of hay!

 

[Mare Stare]

My grumpy Welsh is the same. Hates polos. Not interested in carrots or apples. The only thing he will consider is a slice of bread but even then it's only if he's in a good mood.

Doris, on the other hand, will eat anything except Jaffa Cakes!

 

[starryeyed]

Mine was the same when we got him - the only thing he would take was carrot, and that was ONLY if it was sliced properly. If you snapped it in half and handed it to him, he just looked at you like "...you expect me to eat that??"
I think its because he probably wasn't given treats in his past homes, it took him ages to eat anything that wasn't sliced carrot - the day he was brave enough to take a mint changed his life, he's been obsessed with them ever since.

 

[be positive]

I have an ISH who still will not eat a polo, he takes it out of politeness then drops it , but carrots are ok, apples if you cut them small enough for him to take without too much effort, he quite likes Hilton Herbals but is not really fussed, loves his haylage and proper food that comes in a bucket.

 

[Trinity Fox]

I agree with above poster lots of the new horses we get in dont they soon learn to love treats.

 

[kirstyl]

Don't worry - they do get used to treats! My exracer who I've had for 2 years has really not appreciated carrots and apples - in fact if they are in the way of his hard feed he used to throw them out! This winter a revelation! He has decided carrots are the way to go

 

[Lyle]

Awww My OTTB used to do this! He would act like I was trying to poison him when offering a treat such as a carrot or sliced apple, to the point where he sometimes pulled back and nicked off!

Just patience, if you can get them to take it in their feed they learn to like the taste and smell, so when you offer it in your hand they know what it is! I also got my fellow used to eating things like long strands of grass and hay (he was very suspicous, wouldn't come close!) then progressed to eating pellets and chaff out of my hand. In the end, my OH offered him a carrot whilst feeding the others and he gobbled it up like he'd done it all his life I like to be able to give them a treat when they have been good, I think they do appreciate it!

 

[traceyann]

My spanish was like this he thought you was trying to poison him he was like this with bucket feeds as well. He soon got over that and screams for his breakfast now.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

Mine was the same when I got him and for the first two years. It made things awkward when people offered him things and he blanked them

However he gradually changed and now knows when he gets one (when turned out, haltered in field and after a ride) its totally changed him and he's far less aloof now

 

[debsg]

My cob mare is very picky re treats. She will take carrots and apples but nothing else, and is mortally offended if you offer her polos or any kind of human food she will actually close her eyes and turn her head! Funnily enough, Jasmine, my TB mare, who was fostered by Blaze from the age of 12 weeks, has turned out the same. Previously to these two, I've always had equine garbage disposal units

 

[BlueCakes]

Mine never knew what treats, carrots or apples were when I got him. He was only 5 and had never had them before, I even tried putting a crrot in his mouth and he spit it out. He now loves carrots and apples, apples are his favourite, but I don't see the need to give him treats and he never/rarely gets fed by hand anyway. It took him a while but when he started feeling more confident around me and realising things weren't going to hurt him, he now eats most things. X