When you're working with your horse and training him or you just want to show him how special he is to you, there will come a time when you want to give him treats.

What type of treat to give your horse will depend entirely on his personal tastes. Some horses will do anything for a carrot and others will run from the very site of a carrot. The best way to find your horse's favorite treats is to give him small "tastes" of treats as you work with him and see which ones he really enjoys.

Some commonly given treats for horses include
* Pitted Dates
* Raisins
* Sugar cubes
* Hay cubes
* Apple pieces
* Carrot pieces
* Sunflower seeds (with or without shells)

and some people even give candy and peppermints though many horses don't like them. You will also find your horse is a whiz at figuring out where you have the treats hidden if you often carry them in your pockets or feed him from a small bag. Your horse may nudge you on site or nip at your pockets to see if you have a treat. If that's the case, limit his treats and review ground manners with him. Don't let him get pushy for treats, they are a reward for good behavior.

Horses can choke just like any other living thing. An excited horse may quickly bolt a treat down and this can cause choking. Give small pieces of apple or other crunchy treats and make sure any fruits with large pits like a peach or a plum have had their pits removed prior to giving them to your horse.

Do not give your horse cabbage or other gas inducing vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes or chocolate. Especially if you compete with your horse, the theobromine in chocolate can cause a false positive on the drug test your horse will probably be given.

It's great to give your horse treats for good behavior and during training, but make sure he gets the right treats that are safe and healthy!

If you have recently acquired a horse, it doesn't matter if he's from an abused or neglected background or raised in the lap of luxury, you'll still have to prove you're worthy of his trust and affection.

A great way to help win a horse over is through grooming. Horses are very social creatures and spend a lot of time touch each other, you can take full advantage of this "need" that horses have for feeling touches and help your new family member get comfortable with your presence through grooming.

Start off by showing your horse the brush you're going to use. Let him sniff it and even taste it - as horses test a lot of objects out with their lips in order to ascertain if he can be eaten and if not, can it hurt them? Once your horse quickly discovers the brush can not be eaten and won't pose any threat, you can brush him.

Stay where he can see you to begin with. Work on his sides and talk to him the whole time. Brush downward in one direction only and when you get towards the rear of your horse, watch for muscles tensing up. Right before a buck or kick his rear muscles will grow tight, you will only have seconds to move and in many cases almost no audible warning. If you aren't sure your horse trusts you completely to walk behind him at this point, don't do it. Brush him several times a week, every day if you can afford the time; and your horse will associate you with things that feel good and he will allow you to walk behind him without fear or tension.

Grooming your horse is a magnificent way to bond with your equine companion as well as earn his trust!

Horses that have been neglected and abused will have special needs. Some owners starve their horses in the mistaken belief that it will "break" the animal and cause it to be more obedient. It will eventually kill the horse but it won't garner one ounce of respect from the horse towards the person that treated it that way. Another way people mistakenly "train" horses is through physically punishing the horse for not following commands. This usually translates to whipping or outright beating of the horse. The horse will usually either become wild and untrusting or docile and so passive they are afraid to do anything.

Horses that have been treated in this fashion will require months of retraining and assurance that not all humans are out to hurt them. They will also need good food and most horses require medical care from their mistreatment.

Neglected horses require a lot of rehabilitation. They are basically forgotten. They don't receive adequate food, their hooves are a mess and they are usually riddled with parasites both internally and externally. Once again it takes months to turn these horses around but horses are beautifully resilient creatures and once they are on the mend from their mistreatment, usually bounce back and make some of the best companion animals possible.