Horses and the do and dont on what horses can eat, and how much.

Question
   Hi Lana,  
     I hope I can call you Lana?  I have been helping out with three horses, well, one is a Sheltland pony, and he's a male, and the two others are, guarter horses, and both are mares.  I would like to know what kind of reguler food they can eat, like apples, carrotes, sugar, and anything else that they can eat in our food, and how much of it at, one time.  I also would like to know what they should never have, like say, chocolet. the chestnut,
We call her fifty, and the gray, is Sassy, and the pony, he's called, Coco.  Sassy is old, and the boss.  I have trouble getting Fifty to come to me when she, sees the halter.  It gets her mad if i try to put it on her.  I also would like to know what bit is good to keep her so I am in controle, but she hates a snaffle bit.  I am 62 years old, and always loved horses, but I have cancer and had
open heart, I have sugar, Thyroid, ears, you name it, I have it.  I need to feel she will not kill me.  She does love me, and I did ride her, but I was scared because she is not neck rained, and when you lower the raines, she will back up, and very fast at that.  I let
two other girls ride her and she went hay wire.  She acted as if she was goig to fall and roll over on them.  With me she,s great and jelous of me and the other horses.  She comes over and kisses my cheek, and butts
my back if
I'm
going for the horses or turning my back,
on her.  People stop by and feed them, and I wish they wouldn't.  I have no way to know what they give them.  I hope you can help me, and teach me as much as you can.  i want to ride her so bad before I die.  Thank you so much, shirley
shape, but I remember
the wonderful feeling of the ride, and I want to get back to it.

Answer
Hi Shirley;

Apples, carrots, sugarcubes, peppermints et al...are pretty standard reward treats for horses.  You can feed a fair bit and not worry about making them getting sick, but like anything else you shouldn't get carried away and instead use them as treats rather than regular food stuffs.

Most of the things horses shouldn't have are along the lines of toxic plants; yews of all varieties, black walnut, buttercup, milkweed, red maples, rhubharb etc...  You should be able to research poisonous plants online.

As a general rule, if you aren't sure if it's toxic for the horse, don't feed it.

There is so much to learn about horses and they can be very dangerous because they have a will and mind of their own.  The pushing you in the back (you should never turn your back on a horse) for instance is actually a show of dominance.  She is trying to herd you around and this should NOT be encouraged.  

The snaffle bit issue can be because of any number of things.  It may be pinching her tongue, her teeth may need to filed by a dentist, she may have been ridden in mostly a bosal or hackamore, or you might be using too much rein pressure.

The back up when lifting the reins may be something she was trained to do.  And her acting up with other riders could be a result of a saddle that pinches, her not being that well trained, the riders not being very good, and the list goes on.

The halter issue is one that many people have.  The reasons can be varied, but essentially it's a 'No, I don't want to.', much like a child who refuses to do what a parent wants.  It speaks to the relationship between horse and person.  In this case, the horse is the leader instead of the person.  This seems to be a standard pattern in your interactions with the horse.

What I think would be perfect for you Shirley is to have an experienced instructor work with you and Fifty both on the ground and in the saddle.  You really need to have someone there to teach you about horse behaviour, horse management and determine how much education Fifty has had, and teach you the correct aids to get Fifty to do what you want so you both can stay safe.  It would also be beneficial if you took some riding lessons at a riding school on a safe schooling mount.  You could then enjoy your ride without worrying about what the horse is going to do.

I have a client who is 73 and she started riding when she was 68 at a riding school.  She now owns 3 horses that she looks after at home and even her husband who is 82 gets on and rides occassionally.  But, she has spent hours and hours reading books, researching and taking equine courses online and getting lessons.  She also has a very reliable older horse who has helped to teach her how to ride in relative safety.

You can do this too Shirley, but you really should get some experienced help to show you things firsthand.  I'd hate for you to get hurt and be unable to realize your dream.  

Take care and keep safe.

Yours Truly,

Lana Reinhardt