# Do you mess with your horses at feeding time?



## LikeIke17 (Mar 18, 2011)

I personally think that is very dependent on the horse. Some horses WILL tolerate it. Some, for certain, will not. I have a horse that is great about being messed with while he eats. However, my younger horse would get very upset if a always messed with him. He will tolerate it, for the sake he knows he's in trouble if he does anything. But he is clearly not very happy about it. 
It depends on your horse, like I said. I think with your colt (not speaking from experience...I could be totally off base) it's not a terrible idea. You are asserting your dominance over him, gaining respect, by showing you eat first. Dominant mares get to eat first in a herd, aka you. 
I wouldn't say it's a bad idea... just remember to be careful and aware of their body language.


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## Horsesdontlie (Mar 11, 2011)

IMO I try not to think like that. I do things when I want to do things. If a horse has a problem with it I will work with them, but if they tolerate it they get left alone a little bit more than those who don't. I don't really like my horse to expect any type of routine from me. This way if I do something random at some random time, he will never be disturbed about it. So if I get to the stables at feeding time and I came out for a ride, I will take the horses away from their feed, or brush and saddle up while they are eating. But out of some consideration I do try, if possible to not go during feeding time. But if its my only free time it doesn't bother me or my horses. That way my horses never get cranky around feeding time. IMO


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I figure if he DID do something, that is a sign I am clearly not dominant, and I would do my best to make him think HE is in deep doo-doo!

I have been having dominance issues with him leading and ponying. Ponying isn't going so well because he thinks he can bully the horse I ride and my riding horse tolerates it. :roll:

Leading we have been doing MUCH better at lately, although he will sometimes still try to take a nip. 

But at feeding time, when I smooch and make him back-up and he stands there politely, it is like magic. He has a soft look about him and he is downright polite. I really kind of like it. :lol: It seems like this is the one place where I can clearly be dominant.

I've actually never had a horse that got angry when I messed with it while it was eating, but my friend said she was nearly kicked one time. So I think that's why prefers not to mess with them when they are eating. Maybe I have just been lucky with the few horses I have had.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

I just picked Mona's feet tonight while I was feeding. 
It wasn't something I really thought about. She was walking a little strange & sure enough she had a couple rocks wedged in there good.
I'll get the mare ears sometimes, but not much else.


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

Some can get very aggressive. i think it depends a lot on the horse. Mine gets worked during dinnertime sometimes other times I clean his stall. If im in there, I do my thing while he does his. If I'm cleaning, I make him move when I need to clean the space he's occupying. Then he finds another way to eat or he waits until I'm done in that spot. I don't intentionally mess with him, but I do go in his stall without hesitation and do whatever I need/want to do.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Trails, maybe he's such an angel because there is a vey clear reward.
Let Mom do her thing & I get to eat sooner or act up & have to wait to eat.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

If a horse did get aggressive around food, wouldn't that mean he/she didn't respect you?

Can a horse be food aggressive and still be submissive with riding and ground manners?


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

flytobecat said:


> Trails, maybe he's such an angel because there is a vey clear reward.
> Let Mom do her thing & I get to eat sooner or act up & have to wait to eat.


That's probably it. He's probably thinking "whatever makes her happy so I can eat!" :lol:


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I mess with Lacey sometimes while she eats. I groom her (I don't ask her to do anything more than move her butt one way or the other when necessary) and she seems to enjoy it. I think of it as a way to bond with her since she really seems to like having me there while she's eating (sometimes she'll just stop eating and follow me instead if I try to leave). She's basically the sweetest old girl ever so I don't think she'd put up much of a fuss even if I was bothering her. I do expect her to pull her head up from her food and stop eating when I ask her to, for however long I need (buckling her blanket in the front-haltering-etc), but she fully understands that she'll get to eat again as soon as I'm done and she's always been very willing to comply with putting her head up. She does like to grab an extra big bite of food right before her head goes up! hahaha

Personally, I think if a horse refuses to let you mess with him/her while they're eating you either have a trust issue or a dominance issue going on that needs to be solved. I say trust issue because there are horses that are extremely food aggressive because they have been starved or had a similarly traumatic event involving food happen to them, but that aggression should go away if the handler is calm and reliable about food (no keeping the food away until the horse is nice, or whatever). 
On the other hand, I think dominant behavior around food is a signal that, even though the horse may be super nice minus food, there something is missing in your relationship. I wouldn't be sure how to fix that but I'd figure that fixing the little things that the horse probably gets away with and cracking down on even mildly defiant behavior elsewhere would be a start.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

I tend to just check Mitch over for cuts/scratches etc and give him a pat then leave. He is fine if I do decide to mess around with him to a certain extent, but one horse we had absolutely hated to be touched while eating, because where she come from she had learnt to fight for her food or she got none. So I would just give her a pat and leave her to it, so she knew I wasn't a threat


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## apachewhitesox (Dec 9, 2010)

Well I like to muck around with my horses sometimes while they eat for example groom, pat or even simply stand there kind of leaning on them. Pepper seems to enjoy being groomed while she eats, she loves attention. Sammy I think likes the attention but otherwise doesn't really mind if you stand there. Apache I normally give a pat as I go past or something. Simply because I know he isn't that into being touched while he's eating (though he will tolerate it), he also knows I'm boss and will normally move away from his food when I come over. I have looked after a mare who was very aggressive about her food and I would pat her occassionally when I went past but otherwise left her alone.

I also make all of my horses back off a couple of metres and wait until I say they can come and start eating. They also know not to crowd me when I am coming in with the feeds because they will get into trouble. It took awhile with Sammy who would crowd you out of his excitement for his food but all I have to do is put my hand up and say wait and they wait until I invite them into there food or walk away from it myself. They know better then to rush me because the more they play up the longer they have to wait for it.


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## christopher (Feb 11, 2011)

if i have a headshy horse i'll fiddle around with it's ears while it's eating. helps them get used to it faster.


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## Horsechickxo (May 17, 2011)

My horse lets me do pretty much anything when she eats. I can vault on her, stand on her, sit on her and then click her on and she'll walk away from her food. Some times i play with her ears and trim her ear fuzz, and i always groom her and pick her feet out while she eats, and check everywhere to make sure she's not sore and that she has no cuts. The only thing she hates when she's eating is if another horse tries to eat her food, but I think most horses do that anyway


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I think its good practice for a person to be right there while they are eating. Only if you are confident! This will show your leadership. When I feed my horses (even grain) I can move any horse away from their food even grain. I am herd boss, that is the way it should be. One horse would pin her ears back and not want to move but with my body language she will eventually. 

I only did this once in a great while, just to reestablish my dominance. Otherwise they are left alone. But I also feel you should be able to approach your horse without feeling your going to be attacked. Its a trust issue and can be a disrespect issue.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## pintophile (May 18, 2011)

Yes, I interact with my horses when they eat. When I go in the paddock with the hay, I expect them to stand back and not crowd me or get in my way until I put the food on the ground-then they can go for it. 

I will groom them, get on their backs to sit while they're eating, and regularly move/drive them around, off their hay pile, like they would do to other horses. I have never been kicked at, ears pinned at, bit, or hurt yet.


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## PumpkinzMyBaby22 (Jul 5, 2009)

Yup, I do interact with Pumpkin while he eats. I will groom him, rug him, pat him, mess with him etc. Like pintophile, I expect him to not crowd me, stand away from me and listen. He must not go towards the food until I stand back from him and say OK. 

To go that extra bit further, I even take him out of the paddock, give him his food, groom, rug and then take him away from his meal and put him back in the paddock. Then I give him what is left. Just to check that he will come away when asked no hassles. I feel safer in the long run knowing I can control him at all times. 

I tend think of it like this: If there was an emergency I need to him co-operate with me and be able to be handled when he is eating or if there is food near. 

I might be a lucky one with a great, calm horse on the ground. He has never been aggressive towards me and he is very tolerant. 

Though it does depend on the tolerance of the horse greatly, I would have all my horses being handled like this.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I agree. You should be able to do what you have to do while they eat. The other good practice is, if you have a herd, you should be able to keep the others away while messing with one. 

Like checking an injury or wrapping/unwrapping a wound. I think its very important.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

My horse loves to be brushed and checked and just fondled with over feeding time while my other horse gets mad, real mad! He pins his ears and sometimes he will whirl his butt around trying to get a kick at you. So it really depends on the horse. (The one who is agressive at feeding time must have been abused at his previous owners. And we are still working on some respect and trust xD)


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

I was told that you should leave your horse alone when eating. Also, that you should never let the horse eat while being rode. I think it's because the horse stops focusing on you and focuses on eating. If something should spook them, they have forgotten about you and all of a sudden there you are, next to them or on them, which could make them think you are trying to attack them.

However, I don't follow that. We do groom our horses when they are eating and we do let them eat when we ride. We are usualy talking or making some commotion so they don't forget we are there. 

When we feed them grain, they are tied in a stall where you can groom them or tack them up. I make them turn their head away and keep it away before I give them their grain. I do the same with treats. When they were being stalled, I would make them back away before I put their bowl of grain down. They could only move toward the bowl if I rubbed their neck and walked away. While riding, they can only eat when I give the cue for them to put their head down, which is pushing down on their mane. If they try to put their head down before that, I make them keep their head up until they stop trying and then I give them the cue. In my opinion, I'm the one that decides when they eat when they are with me.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

usandpets, I truly agree with not letting your horse eat while riding. Not a safe practice.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TjWr (May 15, 2011)

I constantly fiddle with my yearling stud colt while he is eating. And he always has to back, stand and wait while I place his hay & grain in his feeder. I agree with what pretty much everyone has said : seems to bring respect.

My 12 year old mare also doesn't care what I do to her while she eats, and my kids love to sit on/brush/fiddle with their mini gelding while he eats.
I've never even considered it being a time to be left alone.... I guess your friend is right though, who likes to be bothered while eating? lol - Guess that just means the horses that let you & enjoy it, love & respect you! ))


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't necessarily pick at them while eating, but do demand a healthy amount of space & respect. I can't stand horses who are pushy about feeding. Mine are expected to back off several feet and wait until I put the feed in the pan and allow them to eat. I only have one of ten that has given me a problem, he was very aggressive about food (past ownership wasn't a great place, pretty much only human contact for the first 3 years of his life was to dump his dinner through his stall door). Couldn't walk near to feed him without being charged, kicked at, bared teeth coming at you, etc...He has since learned a healthy respect for the hand that feeds him and I have went so far as to stand IN his feed pan to keep him from ripping it away to keep me out of his space. I could now tap dance in his pan while he eats if I felt inclined. I do occasionally brush them, pick feet, etc and none have a problem with it. I generally don't though as I do that as part of daily work.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I attempt to leave them to eating when they are having their grain. 

That does not mean I think they can act like morons just because they are eating.

If I want to come in and clean their stall or adjust a blanket or slap on a fly mask I will do it and they better not object.

I simply do not make a point of being in their face at that time.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

My horses are in your pocket types and added to that they are gluttons! As long as there is food in front of them, they don't care what I do.


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## Horsesdontlie (Mar 11, 2011)

trailhorserider said:


> If a horse did get aggressive around food, wouldn't that mean he/she didn't respect you?
> 
> Can a horse be food aggressive and still be submissive with riding and ground manners?


I don't think anyone answered this. Yes, it does. A horse that is food aggressive is not giving you any respect. A horse that is food aggressive can be submissive with riding and ground manners, but still doesn't mean you have its respect. I've been kicked by messing with a filly once after she got fed. At the time I was going to wait until she was done eating to take her out for a ride. Instead she got 20 minutes of lunging in her 24x24 and taken straight out for a ride. she only got a 20 minute ride (she was only 4 and very green) and then left tied up for two hours. The tying up wasn't for punishment it was for teaching patience. Boy did she throw a temper tantrum. But she never did kick again, I don't believe she ate when I was in the pen with her either. If I stepped in the pen when there was food she backed away from it. I would have tried to get her to relax more but her owners moved her stables farther away. 

I believe a horse can be grumpy about it. When my gelding was figuring out the everyday grain routine he started getting very pushy. Pushing the person around, flipping the bucket with his nose (making you spill the slop everywhere) I didn't tolerate it but it still took him about two weeks before he figured out he should stay back while I dump the grain into his bucket. I tended to get soaked grain all over him from smacking his neck and chest with the spoon. Lol He was grumpy about it, he had his ears pinned as he would run backwards out of my space. I believe that has more to do with the impression of being under attack. Almost all horses will pin their ears when the lead mare is running them off. Now people are amazed that Jake will stand by my side, about 2 feet off from me with grain in reach and he won't move a muscle towards the grain or me. Calm as ever and waits until I'm about 5 feet away before digging in.


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## missmellow (May 4, 2011)

I will never mess with a horse while it is eating unless it is necessary. not because I don't believe that people should or shouldn't, but because I personally am not comfortable with it any more. when I was very young, I was messing with a young appy mare while she was eating and without expressing any displeasure at my being there, she turned around and bit me square in the face. My cheek and around my eye were swollen blue and scraped for a couple weeks. she was sold not long after lol.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

If I'm short on time I brush them while they eat (which I don't really consider as "bothering" because I'm gentle). They have no problems with that neither do I.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

mbender said:


> usandpets, I truly agree with not letting your horse eat while riding. Not a safe practice.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


As long as the horse understands they still need to listen to the rider, I see nothing wrong with allowing them to snatch a bite of grass now and again. I rode distance for many years. Have to keep that gut moving.


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## shelleyb (May 13, 2011)

Its not really something iv put a great deal of thought into..... if im in a rush i may feed her whilst grooming her or doing her rugs... if im not rushed for time il let her eat whilst i have a chat or clean my tack or something.... 
IF she did get aggressive whilst eating i wouldn't let her get away with it! Id probly fiddle about with her more till she got over it! I served the food i can do what i want when shes eating it lol!! 
If there's no problem tough i dont see why you should have to make a big deal over it! Just do whatever you need to do   xx


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I will often groom my horse while she is eating her grain. Have done that with every horse I have owned or trained. If they are uncomfortable or antzy about it, I just keep doing what I am doing methodically and eventually they learn that it's okay, and a part of the routine. If they are snotty and irritable about it, I will do approach and retreat (move him away and to the food) until he learns that I am his ticket to the feed, and eventually he learns that it's okay that I am there. I don't pussy foot around my horses and eventually they are quiet and could care less about anything I do around them. 

If I have a horse that is food aggressive, I will make it a point to periodically back him away from the bucket and stand for a few moments away from the feed, and then invite him back to it, so he learns that I am in control of that space, and he is not allowed to "control it", even if he is eating. I expect respect from every horse I work with and work hard to achieve and maintain it; you shouldn't have to be afraid, or tip toe around a horse just because he is eating, or whatever. You are his herd leader, whether you are on a trail ride, or are in his stall feeding him, or simply grooming him down before or after a ride. He should look to you for direction, and not try to move you away from him at any time; remember he can kill you in a split second, even if he "doesn't mean to", so demand respect from him no matter what circumstance you are in with him.


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## lucky13 (Nov 9, 2010)

I wish someone would of messed around with my horse while she eats her grain. When I first got her 7 months ago, if I tried to touch her, she would snap at me (she is not a biter and does not bite) She is much better now. If she is in heat and "moody" she will flick her head back at me, but not snapping. So we are working on that. But while she is eating her hay or in the pasture, she is great. So I think it is a good idea


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't _usually_ just because I board and I'm rarely there when it's feeding time. however, If I get there early and she hasn't finished her morning hay, I will scooch that in a pile and allow her to continue eating while I am grooming her and getting her ready to ride. also, If I am there later (or even if I have put treats in her feeder after a particularly good day/ride) and she has food available to her, she will Not stampede me to get to it. She will respectfully wait until I am out of the way and I tell her it's ok. 
So... I think I Could "mess" with her while she's eating.


On the other hand.... I haven't read all the posts, but I did see someone mention 'it depends on the horse. ' ....I have one horse that I work with (not mine) who is extremely stall/food aggressive. Messing with him while he's got food might warrant you a "Darwin Award."


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

It depends. If I'm pressed for time I will definitely do her feet while she's eating. In the "usual" course of events, I will feed supplements, then clean, then put out hay. I would not do this unless I knew the horse felt secure its environment so it could calmly focus on food AND me. One horse I had was not secure when she arrived and it took about 2 months I think before I felt I could clean her feet while eating. Before that I did run my hands all over her while she ate, but never allowed the physical contact to be broken. I figured this gave her an easier way to keep track of me besides just visual and aural.

Remember, a horse is built to eat a little bit all the time. So they are also designed to be aware while they are eating.


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## pintophile (May 18, 2011)

mom2pride said:


> I expect respect from every horse I work with and work hard to achieve and maintain it; you shouldn't have to be afraid, or tip toe around a horse just because he is eating, or whatever. You are his herd leader, whether you are on a trail ride, or are in his stall feeding him, or simply grooming him down before or after a ride. He should look to you for direction, and not try to move you away from him at any time; remember he can kill you in a split second, even if he "doesn't mean to", so demand respect from him no matter what circumstance you are in with him.


Yes. This.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

yes i do !! 

i usually mix there grain a bit right in front of them and expect them to stand a couple feet back with out mauling me. only then to they get to come up and eat. my horses are all really good about it, i dont even have to touch them, they just know to stand back. i also sometimes take them away from their grain, which they are not happy about, but they are obedient about it.


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## Seifur (Apr 24, 2010)

Yup, I often groom my mare a bit while she's eating. She doesn't mind at all


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