Some people worry that using treats during training will cause their horse to become pushy, nippy, and turn them into a horrible food monster!
Unfortunately, this is likely if your horse doesn’t learn how to behave around treats. For most horses, food is their favorite thing and they just want some… NOW!
Thankfully it is easy to teach your horse to have perfect manners around treats!
You just need to do some ‘treat training’ to show your horse how you would like them to behave around food. This includes showing your horse that mugging and pushy behavior doesn’t get treats, but standing still with their nose away from you does!
Even if treats aren’t your go-to training tool, teaching solid food manners is essential. It transforms a pushy horse into a patient one, waiting calmly when the food arrives.
Imagine a world where feeding your horse is a totally safe and calm experience – that’s what good food manners can do!
A Quick Word on Kindness (Please Don’t Punish)
If your horse gets pushy, it doesn’t mean they’re being “naughty”—they simply don’t know the rules yet. It can be tempting to correct by smacking a nose or getting sharp, but that damages trust and your bond. Instead of punishing what’s wrong, reward what’s right.
Mark and reward for calmness, a head facing forward/away, and quiet feet. Horses learn incredibly fast when the “right thing” clearly earns the reward.
Treat Training Tips
Head position matters: Your horse never gets a treat when their nose is near you. Their head must always be facing forward or slightly away.
Treats only after a request: Only feed treats during training and after you’ve asked for (and received) a simple behavior. Handing out snacks “just because” is lovely—but it can blur the picture and encourage mugging.
Take the edge off hunger: If your horse is stabled or has limited access to feed, offer a little hay or their usual feed before you bring out treats. A not-so-hungry horse can focus better.
Create safe space to learn: If your horse is super pushy, start over a fence or stable door so you can step back while they learn polite habits.
No payoff for mugging: If they dive toward your pockets or crowd, simply pause and wait—no treat, no drama. When they offer calm, head-away behavior, mark and reward.
Why this works
Horses quickly stop behaviors that don’t pay and repeat the ones that do. The goal of treat training is to make pushiness a “no benefit” behavior and calm politeness the clear winner. With consistent, kind reinforcement, patience becomes the easy choice.
Daily Practice Plan
Spend a few minutes on “Treat Training” each day. You’ll be amazed how quickly your horse understands the rules and becomes beautifully behaved around food.
Food Manners Training with Bella
In this video, I discuss the importance of teaching food manners—even if you won’t be using food to train your horse.
The video also shows a short training session with Bella. She used to be very pushy around treats (which is perfectly natural!). But you’ll see she has lovely food manners now—calm, head forward, and waiting politely.
