What's your policy on titbitting?

[Waffles]

Not trying to create arguments for whether you should or not, just wondering what people do in general. Do you give them to say hello. catch them, turn them out, when brushing, when loading, when mounting or whatever.

 

[BlackRider]

Just at specific times really, for me this is when I arrive at the yard, and just as I'm leaving.

 

[smokey]

Only give a treat when catching, turning out and at the end of work. Did use more when she was younger, but cut back as she learned.

 

[DressageCob]

I give when catching. He used to be awful to catch until I got into a routine of giving him a treat when he let me catch him. Then when I stopped he became hard to catch again

I am quite a bad titbitter though. He gets one for being caught, one for being tacked (he used to be funny with saddling because of his background), one post riding and one when turning out again. He also gets one after travelling. I do try to give him non-fattening and non-sugary sweeties though, so that he doesn't become a porker

(if I''m 100% honest I do sometimes give him a treat just for being cute )

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I use 'treats' to reward the desired behaviour. And withold them, if I don't get that.

 

[kerrieberry2]

depends on the horse! my mare is fine, she won't pressure me for more, so she gets them as and when I feel like it! but my 2yr old gelding started biting when I first got him, not because he was getting treat's just because he was testing me, so I don't want to give him any excuse to bite! He's been on anti biotics this last week, which I have had to syringe into him as he won't eat it, so I have given him a couple of polo's afterwards so he doesn't think that everything I go near him its going to be something horrible! but once he's finished these tomorrow he won't get polo's other than in his winter feeds!

 

[Waffles]

I give when catching. He used to be awful to catch until I got into a routine of giving him a treat when he let me catch him. Then when I stopped he became hard to catch again

I am quite a bad titbitter though. He gets one for being caught, one for being tacked (he used to be funny with saddling because of his background), one post riding and one when turning out again. He also gets one after travelling. I do try to give him non-fattening and non-sugary sweeties though, so that he doesn't become a porker

(if I''m 100% honest I do sometimes give him a treat just for being cute )

He he - I thought someone might have the same technique as me!

 

[hayinamanger]

I never give titbits, no exceptions.

 

[soulfull]

I used to give treats for a reward. But I made a point with my new one to never give them. May seem mean but I was plaiting him a few days after I had him and it was lovely that every time the band packet in my pocket rustled he didn't mob me . For me that made the decision easy.
He is a darling to do everything with so don't feel the need

 

[tinap]

My boy gets a polo when he has loaded (due to previous not loading issues) & when he has jumped a course. I don't give him them in the field.

The pony the daughter rides has never been given titbits. She has started to be a cow bag to catch - tries to double barrel everyone or bite them, so we have started randomly giving her a piece of carrot when she is caught nicely - not everytime though. Her evil behavior has so far disapeared.

 

[WestCoast]

When I get on and when I get off as they do this at the yard and she waits so nicely.

But I've stopped giving treats over the stable door after she bit me the other day.

Do also use them in scary situations as she's very food motivated.

Paula

 

[mudmonkey17]

Only really for baited stretches or for catching when he has been good and let me out headcollar on.

 

[Fools Motto]

Mare gets several polos for various things, seeing her in the field/catching, after being worked, bribing her while she stands for the farrier and just for being amazing!
Filly gets one polo to catch/greet in the field and one for after the farrier. She loves her polos and will mob my pockets for more but I've got to be strict and careful she doesn't get too carried away! I don't let anyone else give her anything by hand.

Both get a carrot in their feed over the winter.

I've always fed polos to my horses and ponies, so that is some 30 odd years of polo feeding... long standing polo customer (should get discounts by now! ). Never have I had a problem with anything biting, so i intent to continue polo feeding for many years to come.

 

[Natch]

As a general rule I am a strict no treats person. There have however been the odd horse for whom treating really worked and if they don't mug I will make an exception. Also do carrot stretches and clicker training in some cases.

 

[ischa]

I do titbit but only from ground level ie food bucket never from hand

 

[Spyda]

Depends on the horse. If I have an impressionable youngster or bolshy, pushy adult horse (one which has inevitably been spoilt with titbits as a youngster) I don't offer them except in exceptional, rewarding situations like loading into trailer calmly, etc. At the moment I have a 5 year old homebred mare that I can offer treats to as and when I'm feeling in the mood! She doesn't pester and enjoys the odd bit of carrot, so I see absolutely no harm in it.

 

[PingPongPony]

Mare is very polite and will not mug you at all, wouldn't dream of biting you, so i give her treats whenever i feel like it! But she gets an apple or pear for being caught because she's horrible to catch, she gets one when being turned out because she used to rear up and try to bolt off in the field, now she stands still and waits for her treat instead. and she gets one after work for being good, which is most of the time oh and she gets one after each sj round at shows and at the end as well, because any mistakes are usualy my fault so she deserves them for being a good girl

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Never with my mare as she can be very pushy but always give my cob something as I put his headcollar on as he used to a bit head shy, even though he is fine now I still do it. The two miniatures I often feed from my hand but not sure they count as more like two large dogs really!

 

[LynH]

Totally random. If I buy a bag of carrots they may get them two or three times a day whenever I pop out to see to the horses so the bag gets used up before going off. Other times they can go days or weeks without any treats but sometimes if I want to do something like put cream on headshy horse or fly spray on the pony I take some just to make my life easier. Mine are all good and don't nip but probably do expect treats enough that they will all come when called just in case.
I would never give treats to anyone else's horse without asking first and would get annoyed if someone else treated mine without asking.

 

[FfionWinnie]

From a bucket not the hand IMO.

 

[Shysmum]

When I remember to buy a bag of carrots, he knows immediately, gives me "The Look" - and he gets a carrot..... is that a good policy ??

Must say he never pushes the issue at all - just gives me The Look. He's also taken to coming out of his stable while I'm putting out his Topspec, to check he's happy with the quantity that night - he just comes to look, no barging, and then follows the bucket back into the stable - a real gem !

 

[Ibblebibble]

they all tend to get a bit of the mint lick after a ride, started doing it with the baby and it's kind of carried on since with the rest of them. other than that it's a random thing, if i have a few carrots at home which are going spare they'll end up down the yard, OH cut down an apple tree the other week so daughter and I were stripping off the apples once he'd unloaded and saved them for the horses Other than that i don't treat as a rule as they do get rude over it.

 

[emma.is]

after she's been untacked if she was good being ridden and if she walks to me in the field

 

[MrsElle]

I was going to say never ever, but then remembered we had some apples on the turn the other day, so chopped them up and gave them to the ponies. I did just chuck them in the field though, and let them find the apples themselves.

A few years back I got a thug of a pony who would pin you to the wall and mug you for treats. He was a nightmare and I vowed never to treat with food after that.

 

[PolarSkye]

Only very rarely . . . the odd (non sugary) treat to encourage stretches and as a reward if he's really been good (so he got one today after standing still for ages while we tarted him up for next week's outing).

Never in the field, never for catching or turning out . . . he does those things beautifully anyway and I certainly don't need him mugging me on the way to or from the field. Interestingly, my fieldmates give theirs treats and The GD doesn't even ask.

P

 

[Madam Min]

Ours get an apple each with their tea and share a bag of carrots at the weekend

 

[flump]

Umm all the time! I have 4 of my own and look after 14 and they get treats all the time! None are overlly pushy and know when enough is enough!

 

[Karran]

When spook-busting i'll offer a little something in a bucket, I also give the carrot after the stretches although I often forget to bring the carrot so then we forego the stretches, and very occasionally as a bribe when he's being awkward about having the bit in his mouth.

 

[Gloria Victous]

Yes I do sporadically, it is never expected so a complete and lovely suprise for my horse. I had my mare put down last week and indulged her with as many carrots as she could eat, she was in heaven as she will be now. I would not use tit bits as a means to get him on my side, just as a loving gesture.

 

[Tizzy]

I give treats if i get good behaviour.