Rewarding a horse.

[Carly Rae]

Hi.

I just wanted some opinions on what people do to reward their horses.

Do you reward with treats, if so what did you do to teach them "Treat Manners" So they are not nippy or pushing you for treats and become disobedient?

Do you reward with a scratch and a "Good boy/girl"? If so where do you scratch? Neck, head, behind the ears?

Is there any way else you reward?

Also, does any one have a recommendation on what would be better for me to use, treats or scratches? Many have read topics I have started about my minis and their behavior, which I blame that all on myself for my lack of effort of train them.

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My training was very "messy". I rushed it, I expected them to know what I wanted, I didn't start with the basics and jumped ahead, then got frustrated and gave up. I am ashamed and angry with myself for all that don't get me wrong. That's why I am changing it. I want to take 'baby steps' and not take short cuts because I have now learned that that does NOT work and you learn from your mistakes.

I had a break from training, in that time I watched videos, asked questions, read online, read books ect to get me a start. I know for a start I am beginning with Toby. They say "A new year, a New start".

When I mean "Baby steps" I mean very small ones as I know I have confused Toby so much. I am doing little things like:

-Tying to a post

-Picking up feet

-Touching all over

-Leading

He is familiar with these, but I need to work much more on them, he is horrible tied to a post and will only lift his hooves when he wants to.

Also my aim is to stay calm at ALL TIMES and not give in. If you have ANY suggestions for me I am open to anything literally anything, I'm ready to learn!

Also I'm putting in job applications on Tuesday, hopefully when I get a job I can afford myself a trainer that travels. That's why I never got a trainer, there is no way in this world my parents would pay a trainer for me, I'm not even game enough to ask. But for now I will just stay with the very basics until I can afford one.

Thanks heaps for reading all this!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

It's perfectly normal to feel frustration with training. Professional trainers have told me it happens to them, too. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Horses love treats, of course, but they do not need them. A scratch on the forehead or neck and
"good boy!" are enough for them. Also, a release of pressure is a reward. We think "food is love" but there are other ways to show love.

The main thing I think I have learned from trainers is to be consistent. I think a good place to start with that is at feeding time. I suggest haltering your horse, walking up to the feed dish and ask him to wait. Use your whip to keep his body where you want it. It takes a while for a horse to understand about whip cues. Don't let him have his food until he is under your control. Then release him, either by removing the halter or allowing him to approach his feed in a controlled manner. Don't feed if you only have two minutes. Give yourself enough time for the lesson.

Horses have a good sense of justice; if you discipline him for being pushy and a bully, he knows exactly what is going on and he is fine with that.

Your whip needs to be with you when you are working together. Later, it won't be so necessary, but at first you need it to extend your arm. If you have to lean down and adjust his feet or move his hind end with your hand, you will not be in control. Use the whip to cue him. Sometimes the cue will be sharp, but so are the teeth and hooves of the herd boss! If he wants to push against you for the food, a sharp smack on the chest with the whip will cue him to stop moving forward. When he responds properly to the whip cues, release the pressure. Sometimes you will have him going in circles around you, but stand firmly where you want to be and make him position himself where you want. You don't have to say a word--it is mostly about body language and he understands a thousand nuances of that.

My first horse, the avatar, and I learned together. He is a hard headed, resistant little cuss. We've been through a lot together in 13 years. I am still learning from him. I don't want another one like him, but that is a lesson I've learned also: some horses are not a good match for me.

Do you know a horse person who can come over and watch you work? An outsider frequently sees things we are too close to see. Don't worry too much about making mistakes.

Having some lessons yourself would probably do just as much good, maybe more good.

 

[Cayuse]

I have two big ponies and a new mini. With the ponies I am able to reward with the occasional treat but with the mini I can't. He came to me with the vice of biting and although we are making great progress with that I do not want to hand feed him and promote any chance of mouthiness. So he get pats and scratches. He love his chest scratched and behind his ears. He does better with this as a reward than being verbally told "good boy" which he seems to associate with an immediate treat.

I will admit to giving him a treat while reestablishing backing up in harness. He was very deserving of that.

I found that if I get frustrated, the best thing I can do is stop what I am doing and go on to something that I know the mini and I can succeed at and end the training on a positive note. Then when we have regained our composure we can revisit what was giving us problems.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Only give treats when they aren't looking for them. If you give treats all the time they will always be on top of you looking for that treat. Like someone said the release of pressure is their reward but you can give scratches and rubs.

 

[Carly Rae]

Thank you all so much

I think I might stick with the scratch and "Good Boy!". Because I know that as soon as Toby gets one treat he is itching for more then becomes very disobedient.

I will definitely start haltering him for food time. Gee I think all of them need some attention in that manner. If i bring in food they swarm me trying to reach the food to snatch it off of me. Then one horse has a go at another and then its a kicking and biting fest, very dangerous for me as well.

I have only been kicked once, it was a pretty funny experience. It was back when I first had Toby he was only 6 months old, crazy little ball of fluff he was

But anyway, he was still getting used to the other horses and one of our old girls had a kick at him, so Toby tried to defend himself by kicking every which way squealing his brains out, he got me right in the thigh, I'm glad he was only a baby at the time. Then he came straight to me for a cuddle like he didn't even kick me haha. It was such a funny thing to watch, and his squealing made it funnier. He still has his high pitched neigh, it sounds like a little girl screaming haha.

But thank you all for the advice! I really appreciate it

 

[AngC]

If you feel that you have to teach "treat manners" perhaps treats aren't such a good idea for you?

I've noticed that there are some strong opinions about treats and training. The one thing I've never read/found is a solution for a horse that doesn't like to be touched. "They say just scratch 'em."
Well, that's nifty, but if your horse doesn't like to be touched, where do you scratch? I've never figured that one out.

That said, I wouldn't do what you're doing in the photos of Toby in your other topic: Post Tying.
uhhh, what were you trying to accomplish there?

He just looks scared.

 

[Carly Rae]

Yeah, im sticking to the scratches not the treats.

I have been told by so many people, i have read it, and saw in videos that tying to a post was to train patience. In the photos his lead was too short which I fixed because it caused him to be uncomfortable.. he was not scared, trust me.

And now I am super confused because people tell me to do things, such as post tying, then people tell me to stop. Which makes me confused and my horse, I just really dont know what to do anymore... people telling me different things all the time just confuses me (by people I mean 'horse' friends, different forums ect) sometimes it just makes me want to give up all together...

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Don't give up. What your experiencing is what every new horseman/woman goes thro. Have you ever heard the saying "there is more than one way to skin a cat" or "all roads lead to Rome" ? Basically there are many ways to accomplish the same thing, your job as a horsewoman is to find the way that will work for you and the particular horse. As you have already seen in your own horses, each horse is an individual and needs us to approach them differently. You have already made the most important first step. You have asked for ideas from the horse community you have access to. Now you have to decide which of those ideas seems sensible to you, which seems like something you can work with and which seems to reach your horse. Sorting thro the options for training a horse is often the most challenging part. With time you will come to have an arsenal of methods to try with different horses and the experience to judge what is the best approach for the individual. Be patient with yourself and your horses, keep asking questions and looking seriously at the suggestions given, but trust yourself to know your horse. One more thing, its okay to be wrong, make mistakes and back up and try again. Think of it as a conversation with someone who doesn't speak your language. You may need to try something else to be understood if after some time they still just don't get it.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

The problem is they don't respect you. My horses are trained, trained, trained, and respect me and my boundaries. Don't get me wrong I will every now and then just hang out with them and give them all treats but they aren't all over me. Whereas my Dad when he does it he has had no training when it comes to horses and he is the one that just gives them treats so when he walks in they are all over him, stepping on him, nipping at him, total oppoisite.