JULY 2020 THE RIDER /29


Lyra and Grayson on Asking Barn Friends Not To Give Your Horse Treats


By Ellen Schoeman. Riders


hustled


about as Lyra, riding hel- met under her arm, ex- posing her red hair, walked through the barn strictly for Skybred colts. Mythical Skybred horses were beautiful, intelligent creatures. However, only the females were born with wings. The males had to earn their wings. As Lyra walked to-


ward her colt’s stall, she could hear him pawing (a habit she’d been trying to get him out of). Then saw one of her fellow colt rid- ers handing him bits of carrots while he pawed. “Sara!” Lyra said as


she approached. “Don’t give Magnus carrots when he’s pawing. You’re reinforcing bad behaviour that I’ve been trying to correct!” “Oh, sorry, Lyra,”


Sara said, although she didn’t look sorry. “He’s just so cute.” Sara took her leave


and Lyra began to feel more and more uncom- fortable. Hanging her rid- ing helmet on the stall


door, Lyra wondered how long Magnus had been having treats snuck to him by other barn mem- bers and what kinds of treats they’d been giving him. Was it just carrots? Couldn’t her fellow rid- ers see that by giving him treats when he was be- having in such a way was encouraging him, if not teaching him, how to paw? No wonder Magnus was pawing every chance he could. Pawing meant treats. Lyra had expected this, but now she knew exactly why. Lyra,


although


she’d only arrived, turned from the colt barn and went


in search of


Grayson. She found Grayson


standing outside one of the paddocks, watching as young Skybred fillies galloped and played in the morning sun. “Miss


Lyra,”


Grayson said as she ap- proached. “Is everything all right?” “It’s Sara.” “What’s Sara?” “Sara is sneaking


Magnus treats behind my


back,” Lyra explained. “I caught them just now. He was pawing while she fed him carrots.” “Did you talk to


her?” “I was clearly upset


and told her that she was reinforcing bad behav- iour, but she didn’t say she’d stop and it didn’t look like she had any in-


tention on stopping.” Grayson nodded. “It


is not wise to feed any other horse except your own as a rule. You don’t know the behaviour or medical conditions of someone else’s horse and could do a great deal of harm instead of good. And colts in general shouldn’t be hand fed. It


is dangerous and encour- ages biting.” “So what do I do?” “And a young horse


in training shouldn’t be given treats unless given permission by the trainer. What if you had had a bad work day and are try- ing to teach the colt something by withhold- ing treats? His behaviour


and attitude is now rein- forced because he has been handed treats.” “Grayson, so what


do I do?” “Let’s put a sign on


his door telling people not to give him treats.” “But what if it is ig-


nored?” “I will also put no-


tices on the community boards reminding people not to feed any horse ex- cept their own without permission,” Grayson continued. “As the stable owner, I am much harder to ignore.” Lyra nodded. “And


maybe if we both sign the notice on Magnus’s door? That way everyone knows it’s coming from both of us? I feel like my demands will still get ig- nored, even though he’s my colt.” “Communication is


key. It’s important to talk to your fellow barn mates and let them know that you are not comfortable with their giving your horse treats,” Grayson said. “If you feel like you’ll still be ignored, then perhaps we should


reassuring


confront Sara together. Again, it’s much harder to ignore the owner of the stable.” “Okay.” Lyra took a breath.


“Thanks, Grayson.” She took a moment to appre- ciate the foals playing in the paddocks before turn- ing away. “I’d better get back to work.” Grayson nodded.


“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”


Lyra returned to the


colt barn and to Mag- nus’s stall. She took a moment to decide where they might put the sign on his door when a horri- ble sound came from in- side Magnus’s stall. Lyra turned to Magnus as Magnus gripped the side of his feed bucket and in- haled sharply and aggres- sively.


As well as learning


to paw, her young colt had also learned to crib. Shocked and angry,


Lyra clenched her fists at her side. “You have got to be kidding me!”


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