Treats/rewards out of the hand?

[Sven]

I have a routine where I treat last thing before I leave the yard. My boys expect their treats, but only start asking for them when its the "time", avoiding nipping and so on. I also treat after a good ride sometimes, before leaving the school, and when out showing with my welsh boy as a way of keeping his attention on me and rewarding him for a good show/behaviour.

I do this too, last thing at night so they know that's it, or when starting an outing and on return. The old boy will get nippy if they are dished out willy nilly. They are pretty keen to get them at night though

 

[Booboos]

I use treats to train, especially train out of unwanted behaviours but as with the dogs/cats I always start with teaching the 'leave it' command. So the animal always learns first that if he mollests me for treats he gets none, but if he produces the behaviour he is rewarded. This also works really well with horses that arrive and are bargy around food.

 

[nikkimariet]

Ours get a treat when they are caught, and before riding (stretches and to encourage a soft salivating mouth) and after riding.

Fig and CS both get very nippy if you treat them too much (someone recently met the sharp end of Figs teeth, despite my prior warnings!). So we have a strict 'no treat for no reason' rule.

Unicorn Bruce as ever, the perfect gentleman... Always hopeful for a treat but perfectly happy with a pat instead!

 

[TwyfordM]

I only use them for training, she doesnt nip but can be a bit bolshy if she's just given a treat rather than it being a reward. She always takes treats nicely though

 

[Dry Rot]

Now there's a funny thing! I am not a "patter", meaning I don't pat horses. No reason, I just don't.

First time someone patted one of mine, the poor animal jumped with alarm and looked quite startled and probably wondered why he was being assaulted!

It is easy to forget that animals sometimes have to learn what we naturally think of as a reward is actually meant to be that and intended to be nice! Not many of mine would thank you for an apple as they don't get them. They have to learn as foals that carrots are nice. Strange? Not really. How many of us as children liked strange food or drink?

Watching these TV documentaries on the work of the rescue organisations, it makes me smile hearing the rescuer talking platitudes to some terrified rescued wild animal! "Easy boy, there's a good chap...." etc. Presumably it is aimed at the audience.

 

[Kikke]

don't really see a reason why not with mine. always have with all my horses. don't see the problem, especially with my mare she does everything for a treat even be a good girl.

 

[TarrSteps]

Now there's a funny thing! I am not a "patter", meaning I don't pat horses. No reason, I just don't.

First time someone patted one of mine, the poor animal jumped with alarm and looked quite startled and probably wondered why he was being assaulted!

It is easy to forget that animals sometimes have to learn what we naturally think of as a reward is actually meant to be that and intended to be nice! Not many of mine would thank you for an apple as they don't get them. They have to learn as foals that carrots are nice. Strange? Not really. How many of us as children liked strange food or drink?

Watching these TV documentaries on the work of the rescue organisations, it makes me smile hearing the rescuer talking platitudes to some terrified rescued wild animal! "Easy boy, there's a good chap...." etc. Presumably it is aimed at the audience.

True, but animals do understand tone and intent. Very little of our vocal communication with horses is content - otherwise "oi" (or "ah" if you're not English) wouldn't work as well as it does.

Over time they can learn specifics, particularly for the people they work with regularly and especially if repeated in specific situations and paired with information they already know.

I don't pat much either, as I don't think it's as enjoyable for the horse as a scratch or a stroke (you hardly ever see horses pstting each other) but I do make sure the young horses are okay with it, even if they don't see it as reward, because I know people are going to do it.

 

[NU ABO]

I've always given treats from the hand, no idea why just something I've always done. I always make sure he's listening to me, so I make him back up and then walk towards me and stand when asked, just means he's not getting rewards for nothing. I tend to do this before letting him out into the field and after a ride.

 

[Maesfen]

Not at all with my youngsters, I don't want them mugging people later on and being rude. It has made no end of difference to them since I stopped giving a nightly Polo some years ago which coincided when I had the two orphan foals as one of those would very easily have got above himself if you gave him treats and it wasn't fair to give to some and not to others when they can all see each other. Only time I use them is in loading practice.

 

[pennyturner]

We have a very strict NO TREATS IN THE FIELD rule. This means they are all caught without food - and that there's no barging, biting or kicking when we send half a dozen little kids in to get them.

No harm in treating from the hand, so long as they're 'at work' - either safely tied or being ridden. We don't do it regularly enough for them to get into bad habits. In fact our youngsters won't eat carrots or polos, as they don't recognise them as food.

 

[monkeybum13]

I don't even own a bag of treats!

Definitely one for rewarding with voice or a pat/scratch rather than food

 

[Hedge_pig]

I treat and reward, but not consistently so my mare doesn't expect it at any specific time e.g when I leave or always after riding. I think it's nice for it to be unexpected, she knows I have mints in my pocket but isn't ever expecting to get one meaning she isn't rattling off a set of behaviours in expectation of a reward, or mugging me because she hasn't had her treat. It does mean her attention is on me a lot of the time though in case she gets an unexpected treat, which is useful.