Training with treats - what's your opinion?

[baymareb]

Just curious really because people tend to have strong opinions on this. I never used to like the idea because I felt it was creating another problem but my present mare responds really well to a food reward - better than she does to release of pressure, frankly. I don't ever give treats just for treats sake but always ask for some sort of behavior or exercise, even if it's just to back up a couple of steps. Seems to focus her nicely where some horses (my daughter's for instance) seem to lose all focus once the treats appear.

Which has changed my opinion to "it depends on the horse" but wondered what other people's experiences have been.

 

[catkin]

Don't have a problem if the treat is a reward for something done, that's fine it's just another way of saying well done.

I DO however have a problem with treats being just handed out, particularly over stable doors - that's when a horse gets teasy when they then don't appear.

So the rule here is, train with treats but NO titbits allowed at any other tim.

PS The Spanish Riding School have 'sugar pockets' in their coats - if it's good enough for them then it's good enough for my ponies

 

[spotty_pony]

It's a good way to teach horses things quickly as they are very food orientated as most will do anything for a treat.

 

[LaurenM]

Mine is a food orientated horse so if he does as he's asked he will get a bit of carrot or a mint. I never know what to do when it comes to feeding though. I like to feed his dinner as a reward at the end of a hack - but if he has misbehaved (not acting out of fear) then I feel that he shouldn't have his dinner. This makes me feel guilty for some reason though.

 

[baymareb]

Mine is a food orientated horse so if he does as he's asked he will get a bit of carrot or a mint. I never know what to do when it comes to feeding though. I like to feed his dinner as a reward at the end of a hack - but if he has misbehaved (not acting out of fear) then I feel that he shouldn't have his dinner. This makes me feel guilty for some reason though.

Well, to me dinner, hay, clean water, bedding - those are all basic necessities rather than rewards. A reward is something extra and I wouldn't treat his actual meal as such. That's just not fair, in my opinion.

 

[LaurenM]

He lives out with adlib haylage so in a sense, compared to the majority of the other horses, dinner is seen as a reward. As in the case if my friend's mare won't be caught, she wont get her dinner..in a sense then surely that is classed as a reward?

 

[LaurenM]

And just to make it clear, he has never not had his dinner after a ride. I was just trying to say that it makes me feel guilty to even think that I shouldn't give it to him.

 

[Dolcé]

I use treats regularly for training, including our youngsters and colts, we don't have one that has a problem with biting despite this. I suppose it is down to personal preference really, and as catkin said, we don't feed titbits under any circumstances so perhaps that is why it hasn't led to problems. I find I get really fast results that last long after the treats have stopped!

 

[skewby]

Never use treats, can always tell when someone else has given my horse a treat. Heaps of praise is enough I think, treats just confuse things and take their mind off a job.

 

[baymareb]

He lives out with adlib haylage so in a sense, compared to the majority of the other horses, dinner is seen as a reward. As in the case if my friend's mare won't be caught, she wont get her dinner..in a sense then surely that is classed as a reward?

Really it is a matter of opinion and I don't mean to say you're being cruel or anything.

Though with the mare who won't be caught, I'd imagine she looks at not being caught as the reward, rather than the food.

 

[Kokopelli]

I've been told that as prey animals horses don't respond to treats being a reward like a predator like a dog would. Thats because predators have to work hard for food chase animals and once they got them the food may still be taken off them by a stronger member of the herd or a bigger predator. Whereas, prey animals don't need to chase grass or a hedge so food is not seen to them as a reward.

Don't know how true this is but I don't give treats because it makes Andy nippy.