[Rein-Back]

This is a question that I wanted to ask some different opinions on.

I was always taught to never give a horse a treat with your hand. You always put the treat in a bucket and feel the horse from that. I was told that feeding treats by hand can make the horse nippy and insistent about begging for food from you.

Even so, I do see a lot of people feeding their horses by hand. So, is it a rumor that feeding treats by hand will make a horse nip?

Do you feed your horse treats by hand or from their bucket?

[Shotgun93]

Yes, feeding a horse a treat by hand, or by bucket or anything else can make a horse nippy IF you let them get away with it. If the horse starts to get nippy and you correct the behavior, you shouldn't have a problem. It's the people that don't correct the action that have problems.

I feed my horse treats, he tried to nip once, never again.

[JBandRio]

Is it a rumor? Depends on the horse

Some horses will instantly become nippy if they are ever fed a treat by hand. Some of those horses are easy to fix, some are harder. Some never become nippy - my old TB gelding was such a gentleman he would never DREAM of begging for a treat, much less actively looking for it. My WB gelding can get a little pushy if I give too many by hand, but a correction or two on my part and he's good for a long while.

I personally give treats by hand. I did not, however, give them, ever, to my WB gelding when he was a youngster and he mouthed everything. He had no reason to learn, at that point, that sometimes human hands had food.

[jeda_horse]

I feed by hand. Yes, a horse can get nippy but its more a respect issue, a little disapline is all that needs to be done. I remember as point where Rusty was REALLY nippy, I just wouldnt give him the treat until he 'asked' politely, instead of just delving in

My friends found one way to fix nipping, put something in your hand your horse doesnt like, lol... will make them stop right away

[Fox Glove]

The BO's where I board
are APPALED that I give
treats by hand..

Can horses get food aggrestive?
Sure they can, hand fed or not..
It is up to you to nip *no pun inteneded*
bad habbits in the bud..

I like the bond hand feeding gives me
with my horse..
I am not above using it to
make me more interesting to
a new horse as well..
BUT , boundries need to be set..
and you need to be consistant !

I have been working with
a few horses the BO is selling.
The one mare hates everyone..
I used peppermint horse treats
to win her over..
But now she is just has happy
with a pat, and a kind word
for a job well done..

Just my two pence.
Paula

[Rein-Back]

I understand what you are saying. That the horse will only become nippy and spoiled if the owner allows the horse to be.

But, do you feel that it is better to feed by hand or bucket? Someone told me that way they never assume you might have a treat in your hand...though with that train of thought, it would stand to reason that the horse might come to assume that every bucket holds a treat! A bit of a double-edged sword.

I also think personally treats from a bucket are a little safer myself because I don't take the chance of getting a finger accidentally nipped.

If I am around children who want to feed horses, I also ask them to use a little bucket or pan for the same reason; no chance of tiny hands getting bitten.

[Fox Glove]

Rein back
You bring a very interesting point to the table..
As a bucket of grain is something I always use as
an aid to catch a loose horse...

While the barn is eating,,
I will softly bang a galvanised
bucket , and quietly call
Come on...

Gets them to the gate as well
I use a latch, and give the gate a bang..

I treat or two may hasten the process!

Great for the kiddies as well,

Thank you !
Paula

[Xena_n_joss]

hmm I feed treats by hand to my horse. I do agree some horses can get nippy. Mine doesn't though. She is very gentle when I give her things.

She wont even take the whole apple, some horses will grab it from you and scarf the whole thing. Xena gently takes small bites..... And then there is drool and apple juice slobbering out of her mouth lol... Its funny and cute. My bf gets a kick out of it.

[Tempest]

I think the main problem is when someone is constantly treating horses and gets it so the horse routinely associates someones arrival with being fed tit-bits.

Then they become badly behaved and if the horse is so inclined it might nip or bite but the best it will do, is go looking and perhaps pushing with its head or kicking doors and shuffling around (if its inside) or charging to fences and maybe pushing for position with herd companions if its outside.

I occassionally give mine bits of carrot, but not as a routine and when I do give a tit bit then all the horses on the yard get some if its within sight of them.

Otherwise titbits are only given as we catch horses to bring them in.

I've never ever had a horse turn to nipping nor biting if you just do that.

[Lessica Jake]

My friends' horses, I don't feed by hand. Ever. They're greedy and unmannered, and it's just not worth the hassle. They will follow you to the moon & back if you've got a bucket though.

My horse is really not that stuck on food. He doesn't get greedy about anything. Even if you have a handful of grain, if you close your fist, he will leave it alone. He waits for you to offer it to him rather than just assuming it's a treat for him to have. He's also very, very gentle when he does take it, so I don't have to worry about anyone losing fingers. My 5 year old niece feeds him grass or sunflower seeds, and he is so incredibly gentle with her that none of us worry about her fingers. Of course they are supervised and she knows the proper way to feed him, but it's still not a worry. With him, I can carry a bucket he knows is full around the entire field and he follows at a respectable distance, rather than trying to walk with his head in the bucket.