Do you think giving your horse treats makes him “love” you more?
Since I got slammed for answer I gave about feeding a horse treats, I would like to comment on this. Giving a horse treats only makes the owner feel better. Not the horse. It does not make him love you more. They can eat out of your hand and kick you with the same emotion. In fact it can backfire, when he is trying to shake more food out of his “living” feed trough (you). Not to mention the colic than can occur, or a host of other things that can happen that can result in a huge vet bill. In my opinion, since your horse gave up his freedom for you, the best “treat” you can give him is your time. Instead of running out and spending half and hour a day and then giving a treat, spend time with your horse riding, exercising, and grooming him. Think about which way you would like to be treated. 1/2 hour and an apple or two hours (or more) enjoying time out of a stall or paddock with the owner / rider. Might give you a different outlook on the “treat” thing.
The succinct answer to your question, in my opinion, is NO! I answered a questioin a few days back that said almost exactly what you are saying and yes, took the heat from it too. Horses are wonderful, beautiful animals that add to our lives immensely, but….THEY ARE NOT HUMANS and don’t process emotions as a human…so, I believe that they appreciate the feeling of kind contact of your hands on their body, hear your kind words and encouragement, actually require and enjoy structure (knowing what is expected of them and what they can expect of their l you.) However, I do believe that it does teach them some things, mostly negative in nature. I have seen it over and over…a good, well mannered horse is rewarded for being well mannered using treats, from the hand, allowing that horse to push into your space and forget his place. People forget that there is much security for a horse to know his space and to know your space. To know where he is within the herd and what is your position in that same herd. We do them no favors by disrupting that natural order of things. Treats, yes, I’ve been known to put a few alfalfa cubes in the feed trough for my horses, whether they need it or not…do you think that they are aware I put them there or that they are a treat? Do you think that I even get any credit from the horse for being the one that shared the little morsals with them? NOPE, again I say, I did it to make me feel better, to make me feel that I did a little extra in showing my affection and appreciation…nothing wrong with that, as long as it doesn’t ultimately hurt the horse physically and/or emotionally. Well, that’s my 6 cents worth, I tend to get a little carried away, sorry.
Facts About Horseback Riding
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Riding Freedom $2.50 Summary:0About the Author:•0Author: Pam Munoz RyanIllustrator: Brian SelznickPublisher:Scholastic PaperbacksPublished Date:09/01/1999Format:PaperbackISBN:0439087961#of pages:#N/A… |
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