Would you give up giving tit bits?

[Tifferss]

I have a new mare and I really would like to not give tit bits at all this titbits. ive had her about 10 days now and have given them just to settle her in - however i would like to make sure my new bond is purely respect and love - not food driven.

Whats your thoughts?

 

[Enfys]

My horses still like me, well they don't run away when I appear anyhow!
I rarely feed by hand, and never just to buy 'affection', I dont think it does anyway.

I hate horses bugging me for food, so they know that my pockets are empty and I tend not to have a half dozen big horses getting stroppy with me stuck in the middle of it.

 

[Laafet]

I no longer give tit bits, I made that mistake with my last horse. I taught him to beg, in the end he used to strike out and bully people for titbits. My currently horse is difficult enough as it is. Titbits just encourage nipping and bullying. They do not see them as 'treats' or objects of love.

 

[xena_wales]

I'm having a nightmare with my Section D at the moment. I've had him for 5 years and always got on great. However, I'm just started keeping a pocket full of pony nuts as I'm backing the youngsters at the mo, and also toilet training them, so need to have treats on hand to reward the good behaviour. But my Sec D has turned into a stroppy evil thing who is obsessed by what may be in my pocket - it's really annoying

In summary, I think it depends very much on the horse. If they're not that food orientated then it can be fine, but if they're very greedy then it can lead to all sorts of problems.

 

[nona1]

toilet training??????????????

I never give titbits, just encourages bad manners and it doesn't mean anything other than 'mmm food' to the horse. They are standing there thinking 'mummy doesn't love me' if you don't give them a snack. I use a scratch on the chest/withers/head as rewards.

 

[Wagtail]

Definitely depends on the horse. I probably tit bit a little too often. However, all the horses on the yard are tit bitted and none of them have become bullying or nippy. Sometimes it gets annoying if you are grooming or tacking up loose in the stable but I have taught them 'wait' and push their heads away a couple of times and they realise I am not going to tit bit them and so stand nicely. There is one horse on the yard whose owner didn't want him tit bitting and he was a nightmare to rug up as would box walk as you did it. Now that she tit bits he stands nice and still for his rug change. It is a quick way of teaching wanted behaviour. But if a horse became nasty then would stop the tit bits for that horse.

 

[Borderreiver]

My choice is to clicker train my lot so that they get rewards but they don't mug for treats. One of the first things to teach is nose out of pockets and reward the head averted. Once the horse understands the rules you're off.

 

[wellsat]

Gerry gets a tit bit when he accepts the bit and when he loads. I don't like to give them all the time but in certain situations they can be very useful.

 

[NicoleS_007]

I dont feed my new mare titbits. She gets one when she comes in from the field but thats it, i also have a notice up so no one else feeds her them. I personally think it spoils some very nice horses (biting/nipping, kicking doors etc), my wee mares only rising 4 and shes so sweet so i dont want to spoil her. Iv only had her 7 weeks and she winnies when she sees me, comes to me in the field and is just in general always happy to see me

 

[Tifferss]

thanks all - i think tit bits are totally for my benifit for spoiling her and nothing other than "food" for her..... but she is the sweetest animal i have ever owned.... therefor easy to spoil !! I think i will be replacing carrots and mints with a scratch (she also goes gooey over this)

 

[sugarlump121]

Im for and against depending on the horse, as 1 of mine gets them and the other has never ever had anything from my hand!

My horse that gets them has them when I turn out and bring in- helps me catch him lol and if ever I need to grab him for any reason after I've let him into the field it helps me! He also gets something after I've ridden but thats it really. Hes 14 and enjoys being fussed and having attention- rather than treats, he's been this way for the 11years I've had him and certainly doesn't mug me for anything!

Now my rising 4 year old is a pain for nipping and biting, he would be a nightmare if he was given titbits- he's never had any from the day I had him at 6 months.

Having 1 of each its nice that my youngster will come over to me in the field to be friendly rather than mug me for sweets like the other one!

 

[fine_and_dandy]

If people wish to do it then it is a matter for them. I very rarely give them, and it is only if I really am having issues with something i.e. when Bailey was being eye dropped for a serious eye problem, it helped to reward him for having the drops and the reward changed from a herby nugget to a scratch once he got the idea. I did the same for teaching him "head down" as he would panic with having a bridle on.

I am, however, against people giving them will nilly to buy affection which then results in bad and sometimes downright dangerous behaviour - particularly if people are giving them to horses they don't own or have permission to feed.

I have had this problem recently and have put a sign on my horses door - he is rising 4 and generally always been well mannered, so when he attempted to take a lump out of me and my friend, out of the blue, I was really quite p!ssed off. I had words with the offending persons and a couple of weeks on, the mugging has stopped, as have the "air grabs."

Use with caution and in moderation. Otherwise, you risk a whole new world of issues. Your relationship should be based on respect and a partnership, not food.

 

[dianeholmes]

I do not give titbits at all as I have had problems with horses nipping in the past as a result and one head butting people to demand treats.

One of my fellow livery treats her horses and they are a pain in the field, one in particular, as they come over to get the treats they expect and get between you and your horse. One is a bully with others anyway.

It is nice to reward horses with nice things but not worth the potential costs in my view!

 

[GemBav]

thanks all - i think tit bits are totally for my benifit for spoiling her and nothing other than "food" for her..... but she is the sweetest animal i have ever owned.... therefor easy to spoil !! I think i will be replacing carrots and mints with a scratch (she also goes gooey over this)

I admit I love to treat my boy but i don't treat everyday and I do this in the form of a couple of carrots hidden in a haynet, some mints added to his feed....along those lines.
I found tit bitting encouraged bad manners and biting so stopped treating this way xx

 

[caitlineloise]

Depends on the type of horse I think.

Sunny (Haflinger) only ever gets a bit of carrot when he's been ridden or worked as a thanks. Never in any other circumstance as I would be constantly mugged. He doesn't dislike me for it and it certainly doesn't make him not want to be around me, he follows me round like a puppy. Lol.

Our TB Breeze get's stuff every now and then, sometimes when being caught, sometimes not. She's not fussed about it, therefore you can get away with it. She's not bothered either way. She's very much her own horse

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We 'treat' ours. They know not to 'ask', if they do they don't get anything but it can be very useful for teaching the desired behaviour. For instance, we always offer a treat after removing the halter in the field, this encourages the horse to wait politely, rather than rushing to turn away from the handler. We also treat after mounting, that has stopped more than one horse from moving off too soon.
I think though that you do have to make it clear that you, not the horse, are in charge of the treats.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I don't give my boy any titbits as a matter of course, BUT I do carry a packet of polo's in my pocket when hacking, so that if the worst happens and we did part company, I'd have something to bribe him with!

My trainer says that horses don't actually need tit-bits, its just we riders think they do. It can turn ponies in particular very nippy if they're expecting feed all the time; and there are other ways of giving a "reward" such as riding on a loose rein (giving the horse freedom in its neck/mouth etc) or loosening a girth just one hole if the required behaviour is attained.

 

[jennifer83]

I don't do it. But I can tell if other people have. Especially when he goes in his summer field next to the public pathway, he turns in to a bad mannered pig. I put carrots in his haynet or the odd apple a few times a week. But nothing from my hands.

 

[mcnaughty]

Just stop giving them - simples.

My mare is not that bothered by titbits - she could be given them all day and night (I don't) and it would not affect her handling.

My Welsh A - well, he would turn into a complete nightmare and probably quite dangerous for the children by mugging them for possible treats in pockets.

If you don't want to give them then don't give them - they don't miss stuff then never get...