Advice for mouthy horse?

[NiftDisy]

I just bought my new boy in the beginning of September and he’s been good in every way except for the fact that he’s VERY mouthy.

He is 16 and very sweet and easy to handle but he bites down on anything he can reach when he’s being handled I.e the lead rope, your hand or other horses being led with him, anything he can reach he will bite.

He’s much worse for it when he’s being led, especially with other horses. If he’s leg alongside another horse he was bite them continuously until they snap back at him

He doesn’t seem to respond to being told off. Swatting him on the nose, shaking the lead rope at him or trying to keep his head away all just makes him try even harder to get his mouth on you. He doesn’t bite very hard, he just has to have his mouth on you all the time.

I’m wondering if anyone has any tips from similar experiences or any exercises we could try to work on it? I work at a stables so I’m always having to lead him alongside other horses and so his constant biting of me and the horses is really starting to drive me up the wall!
I’ve tried wrapping the lead rope over his nose and keeping his head away but it just doesn’t make any difference

thanks!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Could be gastric discomfort rather than behaviour.
I would discuss ulcers with your vet

 

[planete]

My cob was the same, until one day I snapped, roared at him in a fury and slapped him on the neck as hard as I could. He has never done it since. It was a game for him I think until he realised it was not a game for me.

Ps. I do not normally sound as if I am about to kill my horse!

 

[Gloi]

One of my colts was like that a lot. I always took a little wooden stick with me and let him chew at that while being led which kept him happy and his lips and teeth safely occupied ?

 

[Peglo]

I read somewhere if a pony is going to bite you you should stick something metal in his mouth before they get you as it’s not nice for them. A tiny white field mate of mine was a biter and that was what I was going to do but never actually tried it. He seemed to get over the biting eventually and took to other ways to annoy me.

 

[rextherobber]

Could be gastric discomfort rather than behaviour.
I would discuss ulcers with your vet

One if mine used to do this - it was anxiety based behaviour, and did involve gastric issues.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Oh and mine was like this and had ulcers.

 

[Jellymoon]

It sounds like a stalliony thing, I wonder if he was cut late? I’ve had a couple like this, both were cut late. It wasn’t actually aggressive, although maybe with other horses it could escalate, but they constantly had to have something in their mouth - reins, lead ropes, whips (one got hold of my whip, wouldn’t let go, eventually pulled it out minus the top, which was never seen again) hat silks would get tugged off, brooms waved about.One horses was very gentle with it so I didn’t get cross about it, but the other one could get too boisterous and it hurt sometimes. I would prod him quite hard on the soft part of his nose with two fingers, or if I had time to see it coming, stick my elbow out so his nose connected with that.

 

[Hallo2012]

my stallion is like this, he doesnt nip hard but likes to chew or just bump you with his nose especially if ive got a haynet or wheelbarrow in the other hand......i find pinching his lip/chin with my nails stops him dead and he doesnt see it as ME telling him off, more as he tried to bump me and it hurt!

 

[Peglo]

It sounds like a stalliony thing, I wonder if he was cut late? I’ve had a couple like this, both were cut late. It wasn’t actually aggressive, although maybe with other horses it could escalate, but they constantly had to have something in their mouth - reins, lead ropes, whips (one got hold of my whip, wouldn’t let go, eventually pulled it out minus the top, which was never seen again) hat silks would get tugged off, brooms waved about.One horses was very gentle with it so I didn’t get cross about it, but the other one could get too boisterous and it hurt sometimes. I would prod him quite hard on the soft part of his nose with two fingers, or if I had time to see it coming, stick my elbow out so his nose connected with that.

That’s interesting. White pony above was late cut I think and sounds similar to yours. No malice in his biting but very annoying. He would be licking you quite happily and all of a sudden nip you. He loves zips on your jacket. Also couldn’t have geldings with him so he shares his field with 4 mares. He’s not even mine and he has a say on what pony I buy (but I do love a mare ?)

 

[Sealine]

I knew a horse who did this and he'd been hand reared. Never really stopped him but putting the end of the lead rope in his mouth when leading him helped as it gave him something to chew on. I tend to use my elbows when I'm handling a horse that is inclined to bite. I don't like hitting horses with my hand but using my elbow as a defence can help if the horse isn't going at you with it's mouth wide open. A quick pinch to the neck can also be a deterrent as it's the equivalent of you biting him back.

 

[Carrottom]

It might be worth trying Warwick Schiller's method shown on YouTube, I haven't had the need to try it myself but the idea behind it makes sense to me.