What treats do you give your horse?

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DD265

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I always like coming across new things to try - feed and haylage are the same day in day out but we can add variety with the treats! My boy does not get all of these in a day (he wishes) but we've tried:

Parnsips
Carrots (with and without Marmite)
Apple
Pear
Brussels Sprouts (a current favourite with the ponies in the row)
Swede
Turnip
Brocoli
Lettuce
Brazil Nuts
Banana
Melon
Orange (not so much)
Mints

As well as a wide variety from the tack shop! He's also partaken in my treats so think a bit of chocolate or a biscuit. He drinks beer out of a can too.
 
I don't really treat my horses anymore coz my youngster gets too pushy!

so Kelsey and Sam have half an apple each in their feed, because I use the apple to give Kelsey her cushings tablets. Sam is on box rest so when we get back from our in hand walks he has a coupleof handfuls of Robinsons bucket treats, to encourage him back into his stable! its easier that way, otherwise I've had a 16'2 horse trying to spin in a tight gap, to try and get back out! he's too big to turn in the walk way!

Jezza the mini Shetland, gets the odd bit of apple, the Robinsons bucket treats but his most fav treat in the world are Salt and Vinegar Snack a Jacks or Walkers Hoops and Crosses! he's the hardest phone to catch in the world, but hold any bag of crisps near him and I have 50% more chances to get him! I discovered the love for snack a jacks as I was walking past his field eating some one day and he came running over (totally out of character) after a while I had to stop by every day with a couple for him!
 
Over the years, my lot have tried all sorts of unusual things, some have been offered, some have been pinched and I have been mugged more than once, one of the strangest was being mugged for a cup of tea, I will often give my lad the remains of my tea in his bucket, just to hear him slurping, he also mugged my OH for a whiskey, nowadays, my lot don't get a lot of treats, half a carrot and apple in feeds, a swede to keep them amused if in, or celery, thats it
 
I'm another who doesn't really give treats . . . he's getting apples in his feed at the moment simply because we have trees in our garden, but he doesn't generally get treats. When he was competing, he always got a polo when he came out of the ring . . . I don't think he associated it with having tied/done well/as a thank you - it was just a way of expressing thanks and appreciation from me (along with having his saddle removed straight away, a great big hug from me, many pats and scritches from both Z and me and being taken back to the lorry to munch on hay and relax).

Kali is a cheeky so-and-so and will mug for treats so we've always preferred not to feed him by hand, apart from exceptional circumstances like out at competition.

He is a bit of a dustbin given half a chance . . . will happily eat anything humans offer him - whether it's good for him or not ;).

P
 
Mine has liked everything on offer. My instructor gave him a fizzy cola bottle the other day. Expected the normal head up down and spit out that most do with weird stuff but no he loved it! He loves the herby treats, apples, carrots, polo's.

He probably has more than he needs but they have been useful for breaking his naughty habit of blowing himself out when you do the girth up (you would struggle to get it on hole 2 each side but when on needs to be on hole 4 each side!!). A treat as I tightened it up distracts him enough to not do it. Now he doesn't need a treat as I can easily do the girth up but I still give him one every so often to reinforce the idea girth up is yummy. I have seen people do all sorts to their horses when they blow out but this worked so easily for mine.

He is super food orientated but manages to keep his manners so unless he gets naughty I don't see the harm in a naughty treat.
 
DD265 said:
I didn't know that about the broccoli or sprouts - definitely was worth starting the thread :)
Click to expand...

Agree! Thanks for that :)

i dont give mine a lot but have just bought some linseed treats (v small so feel ok about giving a few now and then) and rosehips (not tried yet but have heard horses love them).

I give a swede in the stable if they are in a lot eg if fields are waterlogged. Dont think they are fattening and they seem to enjoy eating them

Avoid carrots as believe they have a lot of sugar and mine are both fatties - although for travelling i will cut up some slivers of carrot and put them in the haynet to give a bit of interest.

Also if we are out in the lorry esp for a long journey i will cut up some apples and put them in a bucket of water hoping that the horse will try and eat the apples and take in some of the water at the same time!
 
Mine often get dregs from my veg plot chucked over the fence into their field. A fortnight ago they had lettuce, curly kale, cabbage and artichoke stems (weren't keen on those). I sometimes give them a handful of herbs from the garden too which they seem to like. I usually have a stock of carrots to add to their feed. Generally for ridden work treats etc. I just give polo's or spillers herbal treats as they're small enough for my pocket. They also appreciate branches if I've been having a tidying session (or its been windy), they love stripping the bark off. All my horses have always loved branches!
 
A high fibre cube for very good behaviour, otherwise nothing. Although April had a few malted milk biscuits after she'd been poorly.

I don't feed carrots anymore due to the sugar content.
 
Nothing :) Cruel mummy that I am. Used to give carrots but don't any more & noticed a huge difference in behaviour. She doesn't like mints & I usually eat the apples... we have a strict no food by hand yard rule & I guess that's just stuck.
 
I don't give treats either, but there is no way I can eat a muesli bar without sharing. No chocolate thank you. And hacking when the black berries are ripe can be quite slow - one for me, three for pony .......
 
I don't give him anything from my hand except when he's being clicker trained as he' a mouthy pony and don't want to encourage that.

He occasionally has some carrots as a treat and he was having the odd hay block but he's now having one of those a day with his feed xx
 
A horse treat :p after work- whatever is on offer, unless it's the time of year we're over run with apples then an apple, and an Apple or couple of carrots in the feed :) Swedes once or twice a year. 1/2 them don't like/understand mints?!?
 
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