b'NUTRITION PAT RAIATheHorse.com/NutritionTreat With CareMindful feeding makes rewarding horses a treatPhD, CAAB, horse behavior consultant, research professor at the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Washington, and affiliate professor at the University of Washington, in Seattle. Food is very powerful, Foster says. It can be used to reinforce behavior, and it can also be used to strengthen relation-ships between horses and humans, so it is important that you know how to use food.As a result, it is critical for owners to know why they are offering their horses these tidbits in the first place. That means being mindful about feeding treats, Foster says.Treats for Positive ExperiencesLittle bits of grain, carrots, or other treats have long been integral to many training programs that reward horses for performing correct behaviors on cue. These programs, such as clicker-training, exemplify the significance of mindful feeding, Foster says. Ideally, the behavior should be on cue, she says, For example, by adding a ISTOCK.COMverbal cue back, using a clicker sound to mark the correct behavior when the horse While we might enjoy sneaking our horses peppermints and other sweet treats, we need to under- backs up, and finally following up with stand how it can reinforce good or bad behavior. a food reinforcer. Otherwise, the person can become the cue associated with the E very time he leaves his favoritesurvey of more than 1,400 horse owners,food, and the horse may offer the behav-restaurant, Jack Dinoffri fills hisonly 4% of respondents said they neverior whenever the person is present, even pockets with peppermint candies forfed their horses treats. Most listed carrotsif it isnt an appropriate time or place.his nieces horse. And he encourages hisand apples as favorite treats for theirLikewise, owners might use food treats dinner guests to do the same. horses, followed by commercial prod- to mitigate potentially unpleasant experi-We have to have treats for the horse,ucts, peppermints, and other sweets. Stillences, such as visits from the farrier or you know, he tells them. others listed a variety of foods rangingthe veterinarian for routine care and Even though he doesnt own a horsefrom bananas and prunes to lemons andvaccinations. Providing just a little food himself, Dinoffri knows most horses havecupcake frosting as go-to horse treats. before and after the procedure can make a pretty tough time turning down some- But as much as horses love treats, andit less stressful and, therefore, more pleas-thing sweet. He also assumes that mostas much as owners love providing them,ant for the horseand the owner.people who do own horses cant resistunderstanding the strong connections be- If you give horses a little food before feeding them treats from time to time. tween horses and food is crucial to feed- an unpleasant procedure and give them And hes right. In a 2016 TheHorse.coming treats effectively, says Robin L. Foster,a little food after it, they will go through 70November 2018The Horse|TheHorse.com'