Treat, or trouble?

Many people give edible titbits in return for our horses’ work or simply as a treat. But have we considered how they understand a “reward”, asks Rebecca Hamilton Fletcher MRCVS

- Rebecca Hamilton Fletcher

HORSES clearly enjoy food rewards – the pricked ears and eager eating show that. But what messages are we giving them when we feed treats, and with what do they associate the treat? Might our desire to demonstrate our affection and appreciation for our horses in fact do more harm than good, by inadvertently teaching them undesirable behaviour, or by upsetting their diet and risking health issues?

Unlike dogs, ethologically horses have not evolved to associate working with food. Titbits provide momentary chemical surges of pleasure, but can lead to impatience or frustration if not managed carefully, or if not part of a structured training programme based on classic conditioning and positive reinforcement.

“Positive reinforcement” is the process of encouraging or establishing a pattern of behaviour by offering a reward when said behaviour is exhibited. Classically, a verbal or clicker cue marks the exact behaviour desired (such as the lifting of a leg when pressure is applied) and is followed immediately by a food reward.

Many of us incorporate positive reinforcement into our daily routines without realising it – an apple given for coming up to be caught in the paddock, for example. Applied in this manner food is an invaluable aid to training, and in the process it can also help to rebuild a damaged horse/ human relationship.

Compare this to the more random feeding of titbits of which many of us are guilty.