What do you or your trainer use to "bait" your halter horse

[Raine Ranch Minis]

I have seen food, candy papers, hay or hay like stuff, hats, and even small stuffed squeaky toys. LOL What works best for you?

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I actually end up using a variety of different things throughout the year since the horses get bored if I use the same thing everytime, plus every horse is different in what will get their attention. I have used the squeaker from inside of a squeaky toy (not loudly squeaked, just very light since I didnt want to screw up other horses!), treats, keys, my hat, and anything else I can find that they seem to like.

 

[MindyLee]

I dont smoke but hubby dose sooooo I save his clear plastic wrappers from around his ciggerate packages and use them with a couple treats (nicker snacks) in it. They are loud and make really good noises and hold up well too (all day long). Plus their not messy or leaves messes in ur pockets.

 

[maestoso]

ANYTHING that's small, discrete, and won't distract that other exhibitors/horses . . . Most commonly some kind of feed or candy wrapper. Occasionally pieces of skunk tail.

 

[Riverrose28]

Most of our older horses are crazy about peppermints, as soon as they hear the wrapper they will prick their ears and look for the treat. The younger ones usually haven't developed a taste for it yet, but you can bait them with some sweet feed feed smell on your hands, and tap on your belt buckle using a ring on your hand, that will get their attention. If you are wearing gloves, we sometimes will put a couple of pennies in a glove to rattle around to get their ears up. and it pays if they are a little hungry as sometimes a spring or two of alfalfa hay will work. You just need to try different things with each horse.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I clicker train so I teach my horses at home that putting their ears up will get them clicked and treated and then I just build duration into it so they'll keep right on looking at me prettily until I click them. Of course they get grumpy and bored after awhile so I'll up the frequency of reward or introduce something like a squeaker to recapture their attention then click like crazy for a few minutes. Works pretty well!

The other thing I noticed is that (duh) grumpy horses put their ears up when they think it's all over. When Turbo got too cranky to be sweet-talked anymore at our last show I just let him stand down for a minute, scratched his neck, and BOOM! Ears.

Then instead of devolving further into a shanking and ear pinning war, I was able to praise him, restore his good mood, and he gave me ears for a few more minutes. I'm sure it's not professional but I was careful about how I snuck the caress in and my horse sure appreciated it.

Leia

 

[Kelsey - Vandy's Farm]

The red/white hard mints work the BEST. Our minis love them. I always give them a couple before I go in the ring. When they hear the plastic wrappers, their ear perk up and their eyes brighten

 

[SampleMM]

Fresh green grass worked the VERY best for my horses but I always carried an arsenal of things, just in case.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

We haven't showed in awhile, but a variety is key - cookies, wrappers, mints, etc.

I know one person that uses a bit of bedding with mare pee on it - works for the stallions.

 

[Eohippus]

For our mare, Missy, we have to try new things every time. We've still yet to run across something that REALLY works. For all the boys we use treats/pellets and tic-tacs (still in the container). I like to be able to give the tictacs a little rattler, which usually catches their attention pretty well. But if they don't get a reward after awhile they get moody! I'm going to try the peppermints at the next all breed show, see if that works for any of them

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

Great replys!!!! I will be trying some of these at or next show. Thank you so much!