There’s a common myth in the horse world that feeding treats will make your horse "muggy" or pushy. You might hear terms like “disrespectful” being thrown around, and the idea is that giving horses treats makes them behave poorly. But is this really the case? Let’s break it down.
1. Horses Repeat Behaviors That Get Results
Horses, like all animals, are motivated by things they find rewarding—food is one of the most powerful motivators there is. The simple answer to whether treats will make your horse pushy is that they will repeat whatever behavior they’re doing when they receive the treat. If you’re giving your horse a treat while they’re pushing into you or nosing around, you’re teaching them that doing this makes treats appear!
How often have you seen someone give a horse a cookie because they think the horse is being sweet, even as it nudges or nips at them? Then, in the next instance, they push the horse away, frustrated that it’s acting pushy. This is a perfect example of how food rewards, when used carelessly, can create confusion and undesirable behavior like pushiness.
But here’s the good news: food can also be your greatest tool for teaching the exact opposite!
2. Food Can Teach Horses NOT to Be Muggy
Rather than being a problem, food is actually the perfect tool to teach horses "polite" behavior. The first step is understanding what "muggy" looks like. "Muggy" is just a label we use for a variety of behaviors, like nosing, nudging, nipping, or crowding. Once we identify those behaviors, we can focus on what we want our horse to do instead—like standing calmly with their head away from us—and reinforce that with treats.
Check out this video of Sequoia and I, where I am teaching him to stand and wait until I release him, instead of diving into his food bucket right away. This is a great example of how you can use treats to encourage calm, controlled behavior around food.
The key here is consistency. When you consistently reinforce only the behaviors you want to encourage, your horse will learn to offer those behaviors more often. This way, treats can be used to build calm, appropriate interactions with food.
3. Other Factors That Contribute to Mugginess
It’s also important to remember that "mugginess" isn’t just about training. Sometimes, frustration can lead to these behaviors, and other times it might be linked to health issues, especially gut health, or diet. The environment and how a horse is kept can also play a role. Horses that are bored, hungry, or stressed might show undesirable behaviors more often.
Struggling with "Mugginess"? Reach Out!
If you’re struggling with your horse being muggy or showing other undesirable behaviors around food, I can help! At Positive Roots Equine, we focus on using positive reinforcement and behavior modification to create a calm, cooperative relationship between you and your horse.
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