Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Myth Buster - Treats in Training

Persistent Myths keep circulating among horse owners when it comes to treat rewards and their use in training

The following statements are MYTHS unless treats are used improperly. When treats are used without a solid strategy and consistency then those “myths” can turn into a reality.

“All your horse will do later is going to be food motivated”.


“You will end up having a horse that bites and searches your pockets constantly”.

“Your horse will never learn to respect you and will do nothing for you unless there is a treat involved.”

“When you use treats to teach your horse then you will forever have to give him a treat upon completing a certain task(s)”.

How to use treats the right way:

The basic rule is, give a treat as a reward for a job well done. In other words, ask your horse to do something in order to earn the treat. The keyword here is “earn”. Don’t just hand the treat out for nothing. It does not have to be a big complicated task you ask of your horse. Even a little something that takes only two seconds is great.

Why in the world should I do this, you ask? Well, it is all about the psychology behind it.
Always think of a treat as a bonus. The idea is similar to a person doing a great job at work and receiving an unexpected extra amount of money in their next paycheck. Just think what effect that has on the employee?
A bonus helps to raise your horses self-esteem and confidence, shapes his work ethic, brings in an element of fun, and fosters better decision making.


If your horse is rather timid and generally unconfident, bonuses will make him braver because the treat/bonus will function like an incentive for him to try something he would ordinarily avoid. Be gentle and reward even a small try at first. As he becomes a little braver you can gradually expect more before giving him the treat.

If your horse is rather dominant and resists many of your requests, the treat will help getting him into a mindset of finding purpose in working with you rather than against you. In this case though make sure you set a clear expectation of how well you expect him to perform before you give him the treat and stick to your plan. Otherwise, this kind of horse will tell you when you are to give the treat.

A word of caution. Please NEVER use a treat to trick your horse into something he is afraid of doing. For example if you had a horse who is afraid of being locked alone into the trailer don’t get him in there via some treats just to slam the door behind him and think you got something accomplished. See, a trick is a breech of trust – something damaging. This is NOT what this treating method is for. Never resort to tricks! The trust your horse places in you is the most precious thing you could receive. Honor it accordingly.

To sum it all up, this treating method is all about getting your horse TO WANT to do what you are asking him to do. The implications of the “I WANT” vs. “I HAVE TO” are far reaching and will be discussed in a different post.



above: Charlie is being handed a treat as a reward and also as a stretching exercise

This article was brought to you by Diana Shaffner. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at dianashaffner@gmail.com or visit www.DianaShaffner.com for more information.

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