Other people giving your horse treats

HoneyB

New Member
Apr 10, 2012
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Hi everyone,

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine!

So just a question really and would like some advice.

So my horse is living out at the moment, which is great, although she is in for a few hours today to have a break. I don't usually see many people at the yard when i go down, I am the last one down after work and at the moment my friend does her for me in the morning. I found out last night that a few people keep giving her carrots and letting her lick out feed bowls from their horses.

My horse is fed!lol! So i told one person nicely ( the awful woman on the yard who was nasty about me and my horse) not to give her anything as i don;t want her to expect it or start biting. I am a little bit annoyed about this as she is on a specific diet as she has sweet itch, and i don't want her to get to the point where she expects treats all the time, especially from everyone.

I was always taught to ask before you give other peoples horses anything, is this not the case anymore? How would you handle this? Besides she could be allergic to anything, as some sweet itch sufferers can be a bit more sensitive to certain things. Plus, i know a horse who is allergic to everything, even carrots! Any advice? What would you do? would you write a note on the board asking people not to feed her? I don't give their horses anything. Any ideas? or am i just being petty?
 
I put a notice up saying "whilst silver loves treats, her body doesn't - she is allergic to a lot of things including mollases and garlic - please don't feed her" when she lived out and when on a yard on her door it said "I have a lot of allergies, please dont feed me anything"
 
I would be fuming! I would never feed someone else's horse without asking them.
At my last yard there were loads of kids who thought nothing of going round and feeding everyone's horses whatever they could lay their hands on- sugary treats, crisps etc.
I put a similar note up to Popularfurball on his stable door.
I think people just genuinely don't think.
 
I go through this with my dogs too. Yes, they love treats, but I'm keeping their weights down for their own future so they don't start limping around on hips because of being overweight. My 10 year old goldie looks really good now because she has had her weight kept down with exercise and limited food rations - they don't need any extra food!
I'd leave a sign on your stable door saying 'do not feed treats' simples! I'm sure other people won't like it if you started doing that to their horses. Some RSs have signs saying 'do not feed horses' and I think that can only be a benefit to their customers as it prevents biting.
 
I agree - it's very rude to feed a horse without asking, and it could be dangerous.

HoneyB, I think you're doing it right: just keep asking people politely not to do it until the message gets through. And if it doesn't, shout a bit.
 
My friend kept doing that to my horse and ignored my request to not.. I was less than sympathetic when she got bit.. But needless to say the problem resolved itself!!:redcarded:

I think a polite sign on the door is fine..
 
I would be fuming - I have notices on the Doors at the yard and at the field gate - I have told everyone down at the yard and the yard owner so there is no room for any misunderstandings........
 
I don't feed my horse treats, but others on the yard do. There is one lady who likes to tell me that Ben's lips went floppy when she fed him polos. Another livery fed him half a bag of carrots and generally when friends come down they tend to give him a treat.

It does annoy me to an extent, but not enough to make a fuss about. I don't feed him treats at all (unless I am bribing/training him to do something - like putting on suncream) and he hasn't started getting nippy etc. If he did, I would put a sign on the door.
 
Yeah, I'd be cross, I do give mine treats, but only last thing at night and as a reward for being ridden (in Storm's case). I wouldn't like the idea of folk giving them food behind my back - I'd keep telling people and maybe put up a sign.
 
It is one thing that makes me see red & I won't put up with it. My boy is laminitic & is not allowed carrots or sweets of any sort,but have a notice on his stable saying that he must not be given anything at all as it could cause severe problems with his feet.Does this stop it you ask ? Have found that the only thing that stops them is me being nasty with them,one person was giving him grass that the children had picked :eek: Why is he in his stable ? To keep him away from the grass, I don't want him in as much as he is but that keeps him sound.Yes it offends people but do I care ? Not a jot I don't give a d**n & if they must give horses treats they can give them to their own.
 
Its a problem especially now when there is a tendency for them to get to much grass.. I dont mind people petting them and offering up a handful of grass but feeding them rubbish is not on. The only treat mines get is a carrot when we come back from a hack when we are hosing down.
 
They don't need handfuls of grass being picked to feed them! Sorry, but I don't expect this to happen to the carriage ponies I share and help with, because they're laminitis prone too. Children can be told this in a gentle way obviously.
 
I ride at a riding school and always take along carrots or apple for horse I ride. I asked first before feeding him to make sure it was ok. Have fed the other riding school horses/ponies beside him just 1 carrot each but again asked first and this is allowed.

There are also 2 liveries beside him and one has a sign "do not feed" I would not dream of going against this even though I feel bad if he sees me giving the others a carrot. I would never feed without asking. I can understand your annoyance I think you should put a sign up and hope people respect your wishes.
 
I would simply make it clear treats are not on. I don't really do the polite thing. Horses are not there for others entertainment and it is so easy to feed something that a sensitive horse might react to. And it will be you footing the vets bill, not the treat givers.

I have made myself unpopular on livery yards by insisting others do not feed my horses treats. Did i care? did i hell! my horses health is far more important to me!
 
It's YOUR horse so if you don't want him fed treats people should respect that. Personally I don't mind people giving my horses carrots/polos etc but asking your horse to lick out feed-bowls seems a very bizarre thing to do!!! I've never seen anyone do that before.
 
I ride at a riding school and always take along carrots or apple for horse I ride. I asked first before feeding him to make sure it was ok. Have fed the other riding school horses/ponies beside him just 1 carrot each but again asked first and this is allowed.

There are also 2 liveries beside him and one has a sign "do not feed" I would not dream of going against this even though I feel bad if he sees me giving the others a carrot. I would never feed without asking. I can understand your annoyance I think you should put a sign up and hope people respect your wishes.

Absolutely agree with this, I would NEVER give anything to eat without asking first. Putting up signs sounds like a good idea, and be polite but firm with whoever has been feeding.
 
Those bowls might have had left over medication, even if its a simple wormer or something, you don't need your horse sharing it!:stomp:
 
thank you for your responses, glad it isn't just me. It is annoying as she gets apples and carrots in her tea, and thats it and sometimes a treat when she has been ridden and is good, but at no other times do i want her to get treats as she will start to expect. Someone (has crowned herself the yard manager) was bringing the horses in when it rained, without my permission ( if you read a post by me a couple of months ago you would know why as she was very nasty to me and my horse) and she gives them treats, my friends horse who is laminitic now expects a treat when they bring them in, they don't need treats to bring them in, they come in fine without them! I will put a sign on the board and see if that stops, but i agree it really did annoy me when i found out about the licking out bowls, luckily i was told there was no medication in them, but thats not the point!
 
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