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Should you hand feed your horse??

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21K views 67 replies 56 participants last post by  justicehorse  
#1 ·
I've herd lots of people's opinions about hand feeding horses that it makes your horse spoiled and disrespectful and one guy said he saw a little girl get her hand bitten. I've been told not to so I don't do it anymore and my horses don't beg and strech out their neck for my pockets anymore but I saw someone go into a pasture with 6 horses and 2 carrots and all the horses were coming after her for the carrots but she fed them anyways nothing bad happened just the horses were pushy it looked kinda dangerous. I just want peoples opinions weather I should hand feed or not. So sorry about the long message but I'd appreciate your comments

Thanks :wink:
 
#4 ·
I personally try not to hand feed my horse, and I don't want people to give my horse treats (without my permission). I used to give my gelding treats but he started to get really demanding so I stopped the treats. I don't want him to bite someone's fingers because he wants treats.

On occasion I will hand feed him a treat, but I try not to. I like my fingers and a respectful horse :)
 
#7 ·
You can do it without your horses getting pushy IF you don't accept ANY bad behavior while feeding. I hand feed treats (carrots and apples) every day without incident and all our mares wait patiently and there is never any nipping or fussing. When you're in a group of horses, any fussing is dangerous, and if there is any hint of fussing, they would all get run off.
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#8 ·
I hand feed my gelding treats occasionally, but I make it random so he never expects to get a treat at a certain time or for doing a certain thing. And I make sure he is behaving himself before I give him anything. He is not a pushy horse by any means.
 
#9 ·
(NOT in any manner making fun of the OP, but)--->
I just literally LOL after reading the HILARIOUS statement she writes: "...six horses and two carrots..." It brought this imagery to mind like..."Holy CRAP! THIS ratio is NEVER gonna work--Arghhh, run away!!!" ;-)

Sorry...as for hand feeding, I agree...on OCCASION, but never expected, and never to reward the same behavior day after day or it becomes an expectation which can grow in a VERY pushy horse(s) for SURE!
 
#11 ·
I hand feed my horse almost every time when I see him, mostly as a reward after training, sometimes just as a little treat when I come to see him in the pastures. He never gets his treat before he knows how to behave - that is, taking the treat only when I have allowed him to enter my space, not a second earlier. However, he is dominant and tends to become pushy and nippy, so I am always on my guard to discipline him if it is necessary. That is also the reason why I never let any beginners or non-horsey people to hand feed him.
 
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#12 ·
I hand feed my girl, but she is also not the "mouthy" type. If I had a mouthy horse I likely wouldn't do it, as it would only increase the mouthiness. Mine also respects others' private space, she doesn't go rooting around in their pockets or anything like that because treats don't come from pockets in her world...they come from a bag inside her tack locker. That way she isn't harassing people and trying to strip search them for treats! :wink:
 
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#13 ·
I hand feed both my mares since I got them 6+ years ago. They do NOT check my pockets or nip on me asking for treats, because they know it's forbidden. They also don't check other people. They politely wait till I offer them a treat. It's all about how and when you do it.
 
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#14 ·
I don't hand feed treats. I could without concern of them being muggers because they are expected to behave. I don't however because mine see a lot of little kids on a regular basis and god forbid one accidentally take off a child's finger. I do let my students bring treats for after lessons but they go in a feed pan.
 
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#20 ·
MHFoundation Quarters said:
I don't however because mine see a lot of little kids on a regular basis and god forbid one accidentally take off a child's finger. I do let my students bring treats for after lessons but they go in a feed pan.
Click to expand...
My qh learned to pull her lips and open her mouth wide and stand like that waiting till I put a carrot or cookie in mouth. Quite funny to watch.

P.S. I have just 2 of my own mares. I wouldn't feed in a field with other horses though simply because I don't know how others behave and they can pick the fight next to me. Way too dangerous..
 
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#23 ·
Hehe! Are sheep anything like goats? Where I volunteer they have three goat companions for the sickest horses, and OMG! We literally have to hang everything from the tree branches as when they are out, they'll eat a CAR if you aren't careful! In FACT, last week, we all had to re-sign our waivers to volunteer as someone left the sign in book out and the goats literally ATE THE WHOLE book!! :0) They're sooo damned cute, though! :0)
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#17 ·
We feed ours carrots by hand about 1/month. Break off a chunk of carrot and offer it on the palm of our hand. Any sign of pushiness gets the horse sent off and the others get his share.

Some of it may depend on the horse. Our mare and Appy are very respectful about food.

Our little mustang is not - he even tried to get our mare to leave her food the other day and she is nearly a foot taller than him. After the initial shock at his stupidity, she unloaded on him. When I brought buckets of hay pellets in the corral yesterday, he came up behind and tried to steal a few from me. I kicked out behind me, connected with his shoulder & he went running. I ended up giving him his bucket of pellets because it was cold and raining, but I also stood between him & the bucket and wouldn't let him approach for a few minutes.

So on our rare carrot days, he gets watched closely. He's too food oriented for his own good. There is no way I'd trust him with a kid & a carrot!
 
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#19 ·
We have one mare who's owner hand fend her all the time, treats, lots of them. This horse now nips at your hands and clothing, especially pockets.
She's really sweet, she just wants her treats!

I give my horse treats in the morning, as I give one to every horse in her field
She gets one treat before we work, and a couple afterwards.

since that's my habit, she never gets pushy.
She used to, but I would make her wait until she stopped nosing me and stood still
Now she just waits :)
 
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#25 ·
will hand feed Alfelfa cubes, carrots, apples, and sometime oats. i do it almost everyday and never have had anything wrong. they arent pushy, adgressive or anything. the get flicked in the nose if they try to nip at me and they learn that i give when i want to give not when they want them. i walk in my feild with carrots they will come over but wont bite at my hands or anything.
 
#27 ·
I like treats for one thing, they get your pastured horses to come when called. all I have to do is step to the fence and whistle.. soon I have 5 noses lined up. I walk out into the pasture often, more often without treats than with, and I handle the horses, check feet, ears, teeth and such. then sometimes they get a treat and sometimes they don't. Treats do help keep the horses from avoiding me in the pasture. I even carry a halter and lead, sometimes I put it on, sometimes I don't. They all come around though just to check if I have treats, this comes in handy as my largest pastures are 4 and 6 acres of steep ridge and trees. If they happen to be on the bckside of the ridge, I am not going to climb down to get them. Cheating? probably but it works for me!! LOL
 
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#28 ·
I'll ocasionally feed Hippy a carrot or apple, or maybe a handful of grass from my hand, I think it helps themt o trust you and to build a bond with you. As long as you keep your hand flat and your fingers together you shouldn't (hopefully!) get bitten. So I see no harm in it, as long as it's not all the time and the horse still knows who's boss! :)
 
#29 ·
HipHop i think it does too it got my moms horse use to trust us and no will come up and let use rub his face and will be closer to us. i just make it clear if the nibble/bite/be adgressive then they will get flicked in the nose.
 
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