Treats

Did someone say Treats?  We all love treats! Both horses and riders!

Horse owners also typically use goodies to show their affection and love for their horses. Giving a few tidbits can be a way that a person and a horse can bond. There are many different options for treats, from commercial products to homemade, to even just a simple apple or carrot.

Horse goodies can be given to horses for many different reasons. Horse treats can be helpful with training, since they can be given as a reward for a specific behavior that a horse performs. By giving a sweet tidbit, the horse learns that behavior is encouraged.

Using tidbits  in training is an example of training with positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is a training method during which a horse is rewarded for a behavior to increase the likelihood of repeating that behavior in the future. In this situation, treats are the reward for a behavior.