Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: To Cookie or Not to Cookie

“…for Thoroughbreds, treats are an interesting thing. For many, what they know about treats depends on how they were raised on the race farm and how kind their trainer was at the track.”

Welcome to the next installment of Thoroughbred Logic. In this weekly series, Anthropologist and trainer Aubrey Graham, of Kivu Sport Horses, offers insight and training experience when it comes to working with Thoroughbreds (although much will apply to all breeds). This week ride along as Aubrey shares her logic on offering treats as rewards. 

There are divides everywhere in the horse world. Folks form factions on big things (eg. the use of draw reins or the desire to radiograph backs in pre-purchase exams) and the small stuff (whether or not to close stall doors with guards or gates or whether trailers should be slant load or straight). And yes, even tiny things like treats fall victim to fictionalization within the land of equestrians. Don’t worry, if it has to do with horses, people have opinions and they’re usually strong.

This article is less about how much people spend on cookies or which treats they choose — peppermints vs. apple snacks vs. peppermint-studded German horse muffins. It is more about how folks train.

Let me place myself and my training within this spectrum to start. I like treats, but I generally only give them after a job well done. A box of peppermints and a bag of cardboard-like apple snacks sit next to my crossties. After a training session, the lucky pony gets one or two of whatever type they prefer. And then we walk back to the stall or the field. Sure, I sneak my favorites an extra snack from time to time — Rhodie (Western Ridge), who is in semi retirement, gets to enjoy them at this point without much effort on his part. And if anyone is on stall rest, they’ll get a snack when the cross-tie kids get one, just for not kicking down my barn.

Yes, everyone wants snacks (Fig – Ekati’s Verve, Neil – Lute’s Angel, and Littles). Photo by author.

I generally don’t give cookies throughout a session. I ask the horse to rely on verbal cues and pats and scratches for affirmation while working. And I expect that they will behave and make an effort because they have been asked to, not because there is food motivating them to do so. Instead of food, I try to provide clear boundaries and a proverbial long rope. My expectation always is that they will figure out where the boundary lies (Oops, can’t paw; nope, can’t bite either. Can’t drop a shoulder and walk off… hmmm… but can nuzzle. OK. Can stand quietly. Sure.) and then find ways to be themselves and make good decisions within its borders. I have found that constant treating can create spoiled horses who demand food-based affirmation for on-the-ground asks and turn a rider into an on-demand vending machine.

But for many riders, this works for them. OK. Their horses might stand better than mine at the mounting block or might do tricks. Just please don’t teach them to beg. Even on steak dinner nights, my dogs know to go lay down elsewhere and wait. (Told ya — strong opinions prevail).

Ben (Box N Ben) heading to the mounting block for his first ride here. No treats were had until he finished up — he was fantastic. Photo by Lily Drew.

And for Thoroughbreds, treats are an interesting thing. For many, what they know about treats depends on how they were raised on the race farm and how kind their trainer was at the track. Many come off the track not knowing anything of carrots or peppermints. They don’t know how to eat them, often trying to chew them with their front teeth and then spitting the flavorful bits back out. Some will simply turn their nose up at the goods. It takes time and curiosity for that type of racehorse to accept snacks. And then on the other hand, there are horses like Quality Step, who shipped in with two huge bags of peppermints in tow from his race owners. If you offered him a snack, there was no question as to whether that horse knew how to eat it.

Rhodie (Western Ridge) appreciating his “because you’re retired” treats. Photo by author.

So although I am pretty strict about cookies and how and when the horses get them, I do break my own rules on occasion. And in doing so, I can appreciate the other side of the spectrum. Sure, around the holidays everyone gets candy canes just ’cause. And it’s cute to have a barn full of alert, treat-aware Thoroughbreds. But that’s not really what I mean here. I mean training with treats… and reinforcing the good behaviors with food.

Fig (while he was on stall rest) checking to make sure Sews (Lord Darnley) didn’t get any treats while he wasn’t looking. Photo by author.

Two quick examples:

Jasmine

Jazz, like many of the horses here, is a long story. The short of it is that she came to me from a super loving home — she came in for training, went home and then came back for sale. When she sold, I thought I had found her a great spot, but the trainer was soon swapped, the barn culture that expected TBs to be problematic was unhelpful, and despite reaching out to try to help find her a spot, the mare was given away to a woefully inappropriate home and job as a walk/trot lesson horse. This mare would more happily jump said walk/trot lesson horse with kid on it than teach those lessons. They tried to cowboy her, she bucked. In short order, she was scheduled to go to auction. I got word of it and bought her back because that’s what being angry does — makes you make really bad financial decisions about horses you never owned in the first place. Oh well, good thing I like her.

Jasmine a month after she came back to me from the to-auction home in Georgia. Photo by Alanah Giltmier.

When she came home, she clearly had ulcers (in fact, the last place had scoped her but never completed treatment… riddle me that), so mountains of Gastroguard it was. And after a couple weeks, I hopped back on. And I did so with a pocket stuffed with peppermints. I absolutely could have ridden her without them. But after I swung a leg over, she got a treat. Trot around without trying to kill me. Great. Halt, cookie. The supposedly terrible bucking mare packed me around WTC and over small fences. She didn’t have to. And based on what she had been through, there was no reason for her to want to. But there she was, showing up when asked. And for that, all my cookie rationing went out the window. Have a peppermint. Screw it, have five.

I was careful to create a mare who neither looked for the treats nor demanded them, but who understood that her job could be enjoyed and rewarded with both praise and snacks. Also long story without an end, Jazz ended up in a stellar lease in Georgia, and when that concluded, she shipped to me in New York. She is now leased to an excellent rider who enjoys her athleticism and antics and does right by her at each turn. And if she ever has to come back, as most leases do, she’ll still get the pockets of peppermints here (at least to start).

More Jasmine because she’s pretty. Photo by Alanah Giltmier.

Rook

Rook (Breath of Royalty) came to me from Second Chance Thoroughbreds for training/sale. He is a 10-year-old Giant’s Causeway descendant who looks like a Thoroughbred version of my first pony. Only he’s 15.3 hands and Snowflake — aka the bucking spawn of Satan — was 12.3. Unlike his pony doppelgänger, Rook is sweet, hopeful for his own person and doesn’t particularly buck. But after having five years or so just hanging out in a field and coming back to work just last month, he does have some minor anxiety to manage. While Rook was able to do the job here — come over his back and start pushing from behind — he was still doing so while being a little concerned about the process. He’s going to be great, he’s just not a horse you can just kick on and push through his feelings.

So I changed my approach. He likes treats and thankfully loves his grain (and is packing on the pounds). Contrary to how do I do almost everything around here, Rook’s training has taken a food-based reinforcement turn. Now he gets treats not necessarily because he did anything good, but because it keeps him centered and calm. On the ground, I started with the crossties — the occasional half cookie here or there until there was less fancy foot work. And then we went to the lunge — super quiet walk-trot work in close to me. Each halt earned a few pellets of grain. Over a few sessions, his big-feelings attitude started to settle. And yesterday, I translated it up into the saddle, packing my pockets with loose grain. Once on, treat. Good kid. No running sideways, no having to do some quick-thinking steering to stay in the tack. Walk and halt. Treat. Good kid. Up into the trot. Back to halt. Treat. Good kid. The 20-minute ride might not have been exciting, but it was the quietest and most settled that he has been thanks to the repetitive and calming nature of halting for a handout.

Rook putting it all together piece by piece (and with ample handouts in the process). Photo by Lily Drew.

I’ll continue with this tactic over the next month, slowly increasing the duration between treats until he doesn’t need them anymore. And then I’ll keep the training tactic in my back pocket, somewhat literally. I’m excited with how he handled it and what feelings and reactions he is willing to put on hold in order to scarf down a little bit of grain. Again, this isn’t my usual go-to, but if horsemanship isn’t about being flexible, than I’m not sure what it is.

So go ride folks. Give all the good ponies a cookie for me (but just this once).

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