O.C Equine – Food Rewards

Food Rewards – “Myth Busting” Using Trailer Loading As an Example

So there is a divided opinion across the horsey community on the use of food rewards to train horses. It can be mistaken as a bribe instead of a positive reinforcer – but in the same breath if not effectively used it then does become a bribe, which in-turn contributes to undesired behaviours such as; nipping, mugging, head butting and aggression.

How we use food to train our horses is incredibly important with regards to the final outcome. Personally, I want my horse to be respectful around food and not bite my fingers off! This is something we have to TEACH from the START. We have to be incredibly CLEAR and set the BOUNDARIES.
Let’s discuss the following scenario…

Say you have a horse that doesn’t load (that sounds familiar)
Prime example of a common situation where food is often used in the bribery sense! So here you are shaking a bucket of food trying to encourage the horse onto the ramp, the horse is stretching with all its might, and is basically shaking you around like a rag doll as it wrestles to get into the bucket (also sounds familiar). Whilst this is rewarding for the horse (as it is getting a tasty meal), your horse still hasn’t loaded; so not so rewarding for you…

How can we use food to POSTIVELY reinforce stepping up and onto the ramp?

Firstly we have to choose a replicable sound such as a “clucking” noise, this is the noise you are going to use to “mark” desired behaviours. We need to get the horse to associate this sound with a food reward, this next step is super important. I was taught to “cluck” then give the treat directly after to build up this association. However, with my gelding he did keep creeping forwards and started mugging me for the treat.

So this is where you need to set your boundaries early on. I would advise asking for a step back, as your horse steps back use your verbal marker then follow up with the food reward. Your horse needs to be respectful, and bargy or “mugging” behaviour must not be treated and must be ignored/or the horse is to be asked to step out of your space – this is going to be super important as you progress. Consistency is going to be your best friend, and the more you stand firm in your boundaries, the more respectful your horse is going to be around food rewards.

Okay, so let’s say your horse has the concept that the cluck [or whatever noise you want] means a food reward is following shortly after. So what is the purpose of this verbal cue? Essentially this is marking the exact moment in time your horse does something you are trying to train them. It allows for accurate reinforcement which enhances the training process. Without it you are just treating; and the horse cannot make the connection of what behaviour they need to display to get the treat reward.

Say our goal is to get the horse just to put one foot on the ramp (because let’s face it, the training of trailer loading takes time – trust me I know, my horse is the worst loader in the universe!) We can break this task down in to tiny manageable increments. We could make the first milestone to be that the horse just needs to sniff the ramp, once the horse sniffs the ramp you can verbally cue and offer the food reward. The next stage is that we could want the horse to place a foot on the ramp (or paw – a lot of horses like pawing at it to start with) again, verbally cue and use the food reward. Maybe then the horse might start to offer the second foot, and we just progress gradually.

We remain passive and calm, there’s no flapping of lead ropes or ragging their mouth with a chiffney or whipping it until they get bullied on. It is a game of patience and it is about being gradual – it is using the food reward to genuinely train the horse; to gain an understanding of what is being asked of them.

Don’t get me wrong, it is not a quick fix – but it is a method that more often than not gets to the root cause of the behavioural issue. Taking the time to practice at home before you venture out to competitions, is going to be a much better way than bullying the horse on each time you go out.

Train the behaviour – and have an enjoyable day, instead of getting hot and flustered that your horse is more stubborn than an ox!

The treat market is vast these days, there are healthier alternatives and the chances are your horse has some kind of feed anyway – so why not just ration the quantity you use for training out of their usual daily intake? Better still, if your horse loves scratches you could probably avoid treats altogether and replace it with something else positive that your horse enjoys. 🍎🍐

I personally feel there is nothing wrong with using treats to train; it’s the method that is of importance. It is about patience and consistency and the understanding that training takes time, there are no short cuts to training anything!

Obviously this is an incredibly simplified version of events, there are many factors to consider such as the environment, the horses arousal – are they in the mind set to learn and take on new information? Are they fearful – if so, what of? For example, my horse is claustrophobic and is terrified of the doors closing behind him. We open the front ramp, take all partitions out and make the environment light and airy. We just walk him through a few times; we don’t even close the doors behind him; we are now at the stage where we are encouraging him to stand in the trailer. But he has the option to walk out calmly if he wishes to leave.

It is about allowing the horse to have a conversation with you, they are entitled to have an opinion and you have to give them the choice to think for themselves. I think as horse owners we want full control all of the time in fear that the horse is going to go AWOL, but you will be surprised trust me. Allow a horse to think and have a choice in the matter, and you will be amazed by the outcome.

Sure I have a degree in this stuff, but that’s really irrelevant – I speak from personal experience, trial and error, making mistakes and having those little wins! 🏆

These are the techniques that I teach to my clients, this is the way I believe in – it may not be for everybody and this is completely fine. I help those who would like my help! If you fancy a session with me, please do get in touch. My sessions start from £25 (clients within Leicestershire) I can cater further afield but please do message me to enquire, as I only cover a certain radius.

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