Horse World

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

There are many visitors to horse stables who unintentionally do harm to horses by feeding them treats without asking the permission of the horse’s owner.

There are many reasons why giving a horse a treat may cause harm to the horse.

When a stranger feeds a horse a treat they do not know the horse. They are not aware of how many treats the horse has already had and the fact that too many treats could give the horse colic.

The stranger does not know what kind of diet the horse is on, what kind of medications or if the horse is restricted in any way regarding feed and treats.

The horse will learn a behavioral habit when stranger feed him. The horse will expect and seek out treats if it becomes a habit to receive treats when he comes up to the front of the stall.

If he has learned this behavior and comes up to the front of the stall and a stranger does NOT give him a treat, the horse may resort to nipping, being pushy or other demanding and poorly mannerisms to beg a treat.

This is a learned behavior fostered by the unthinking treat giving stranger who have come before you.

The horse owner has the right to ask that you not give treats without permission because the owner, afterall is the one that has the time and financial investment in the horse.

The owner knows what kind of diet the horse is on. The owner knows if the horse is taking medications that may restrict what kinds of treats he may have and how many. The horse owner knows if the horse has any food allergies and the stranger does not know this information.

Be kind to the horse, by respecting his dietary needs; ask the owner first before giving the horse a treat.

Part of keeping a horse healthy is regulating what the horse eats. It is difficult to regulate the horses diet if strangers are feeding him treats.

Another hazzard that occurs when strangers feed treats to stabled horses, or horses in a corral is that they sometimes leave empty plastic treat bags, or twist ties on the ground where the horse can pick it up and ingest it.

Ingesting items such as these can lead to death!

Respect the health and well-being of these magnificent creatures by asking before giving treats (ask the owner not the horse).

If you truly love horses, you will understand the need for the owner to control what treats the horse receives and how often he receives them.

Asking the owner if you can give a horse a treat may lead to you finding out that the horse owner prefers the treat to be placed in the manger instead of to hand-feed the treat, or that the horse is on a special diet and the treat you wanted to give him would have made him sick.

Feeding another person’s horse a treat without asking permission is just as rude as a complete stranger coming up and feeding your child or dog a treat without asking permission to do so.

Next time you are tempted to give a treat to another persons horse, stop and go ask permission first.

Previous Articles By This Author

• Buying Your First Horse
• Equipment for Horses
• Basics of Horse Care
• Grooming your Horse
• The History of Horses