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Using Treats to Train a Horse

Using Treats to Train a Horse

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I personally do not believe in giving treats when training because a horse is a very
easily conditioned animal. When I was located at a training facility that I drove to
every morning, my horses would nicker and come running up to the end of the
paddock because they recognized the sound of my diesel engine even before they
saw the truck. It became a conditioned response for them. Most people thought that
was nice and that they loved me but actually they knew that once I got there, they
would soon be fed. They also got to be aggressive, running into the stall, nickering
and basically yelling feed me, feed me, feed me.

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Do Not “Un-Winterize” Just Yet

Do Not “Un-Winterize” Just Yet

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When I was growing up on our dairy farm in Virginia, Dad would remind us that every February, there was always a week or so of very mild weather. Everyone would be tempted to feel that spring was arriving. However, the worst snowstorms we ever had was the beginning of March. Last year, during early March, I was convinced sub- freezing weather was over and turned the horse stall waterers back on and unwinterized our trailer for an upcoming trip.

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“Come to Me” Training

“Come to Me” Training

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Horses need to respect four major ground training commands: “move away from me,” “come
toward me,” “stop,” and “back”. In this article I will give you the steps to teach your horse the
“come to me” command.
Before starting, make sure that your horse is properly equipped. He should be wearing a properly
fitting halter, with a longe line, and leg protection. I prefer using a longe line over a lead rope for
ground training, but will use both terms in these articles.
No matter what the horse’s age, I introduce these commands first in a confined, familiar location
like stall, round pen, or small paddock. Remove any distractions such as buckets or hay.

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