The Do’s and Don’ts of Feeding Treats.
Today we talk about a common habit of every equestrian’s life: treating your horse.
We all love a snack once in a while and our horses love it too. An important aspect of training a horse, is in fact the positive reinforcement. It is simple as it sounds. Whenever your horse does something good, something that you asked for, the negative stimulus gets removed (for example the rider releases the pressure from the reins, allowing him to get some rest) and a reward is given (like a scratch or a food treat). This pattern encourages our horse to accomplish tasks in a more engaged way and through the repetition of it, to memorize the kind of behavior we expect from him.
Today there are plenty of equine snacks available in the market even though sometimes it is just easier to pick some fruit left at home before rushing to the stable.
It is most important to know that not every fruit and vegetable is suitable to feed your horse. Some of them, as tomatoes for example, can be harmful even in small quantities if fed to a horse. Would you take the risk? I don’t think so.
Here’s a list of snacks safe to give to your horse:
– Apples and carrots (the worldwide traditional choice, big qty allowed)
– Bananas (a great source of potassium, feed it with the peel on it’s ok)
– Raisins and grapes
– Strawberries
– Melon, watermelon
– Celery
– Pears
– Oranges (don’t exaggerate)
– Mangos (without the peel)
– Pumpkin
– Zucchini
– Dates
– Sugar cubes (small qty please)
Some don’ts:
– Tomatoes (Tomatoes contain atropine, hyoscyamine and solanine which are toxic elements. Solanine can cause serious digestion issues, and throat swelling and hyoscyamine affect the saliva production.)
– Potatoes
– Onions
– Cabbage
– Brussels sprouts
…and any other food that tends to produce intestinal gas or belongs to the nightshade family.
Also, consider removing the bit from your horse’s mouth before having him chew a big piece of apple. If you MUST give him a treat with the bit (maybe you are in the middle of a training session), consider giving him a treat that dissolves, like sugar cubes.
