As a carry on from the scenario thread...

bexcy-bee

bexcy-bee

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... How would you stop biting?

I've smacked her on the shoulder, smacked her on the nose, growled, shouted, but I can't stop her doing it. It can be at any time from tacking up to grooming, to clipping, she does it in season or out of, I just don't know what her problem is? Her teeth were done recently.

Help!

Bexcy-bee x
 
Make sure you keep your wits about you so you don't get hurt.

Anticipate.

Be ready with something unpleasant the moment she does it. Ideally have her bite something nasty - a spiky brush for example. A sharp elbow meeting her nose will do. Timing is everything.
 
I solved the problem by carrying a small childs water pistol and squirting him on the nose when he tried to bite. After a while I just needed to be holding pistol and not use it, - aversion therapy!
 
When I bought mine at 9 months she was already a 'nipper' pinching back, elbowing, lemon juice, brush in nose nothing worked this only aggravated it. What worked was setting the clear boundary that she was not allowed to come into my space without being asked, no nose on me, no hand feeding, this had a pretty immediate effect. If she started to come inti my space ( testing the boundary) Id just calmly and firmly move her head away with the rope. If she was in the field id drive her off. Think about it, there are always warnings and subtle signs the horse is testing to see what they can get away with, it will never escalate to biting without warning signs the trick is is to spot these warning signs and be very black and white about what is acceptable.
 
ridefast said:
Tie a bit of rope to the noseband of her headcollar so it gets in the way of her mouth every time she goes to bite
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The problem is, she can't tie up. She had a fright when a tree came down unexpectedly when I bought her in the other day, and understandably pulled back, but the string didn't break and she ran off with a bit of wood attached to her. That was about 2 weeks ago now, and we are at the stage of tieing up to take rug off, she is ok when being groomed, but will pull back every time she is tacked up, though getting better every time at the mo.

fattylumpkin said:
How is your relationship with her otherwise Bexcy-bee? :) Is she polite to handle/lead and how is she when she's loose in the field or in the stable?
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She is perfect in every other respect, won't try biting when leading, or loose in the field. She is fine to be caught, but has only been in the stable once since the incident above, and walked round a few times, didn't stand to be groomed in there etc.

I have started to put the dandy brush against her mouth each time she bites. I've been lucky, and she has only caught me once whilst I was clipping, and it wasn't bad because I saw it coming and was already moving out of the way.

My fear is, if I hit her or elbow her it whatever is needed whilst she's tied up, she will pull back and scare herself again. She doesn't do it whilst leading, and she did it before the above incident so not related to that

Thanks for the responses

Bexcy-bee x
 
GeorgeyGal said:
When I bought mine at 9 months she was already a 'nipper' pinching back, elbowing, lemon juice, brush in nose nothing worked this only aggravated it. What worked was setting the clear boundary that she was not allowed to come into my space without being asked, no nose on me, no hand feeding, this had a pretty immediate effect. If she started to come inti my space ( testing the boundary) Id just calmly and firmly move her head away with the rope. If she was in the field id drive her off. Think about it, there are always warnings and subtle signs the horse is testing to see what they can get away with, it will never escalate to biting without warning signs the trick is is to spot these warning signs and be very black and white about what is acceptable.
Click to expand...

She does it when I'm trying to brush her face/nose/neck, so it's hard to avoid her space. The warning signs are ears back, but she's already going for me by the time her ears are back. I thought it was a season thing to start with, as that's when she started it, but she has continued it since. She isn't fed any treats either, so not to do with that

Bexcy-bee x
 
That's very bad luck with the incident with the tree :( There's a really great book by Michael Peace called the '100% Horse' which has a chapter on horses who are afraid to be tied or boxed, he has some really simple solutions :) for the biting, it sounds like she's feeling some anxiety at you moving around in her space touching her, especially if she avoids letting you near her head and ears. I think teaching her to accept you stroking your hands over her muzzle and between her ears will help a lot. GL Bexcy-bee!
 
fattylumpkin said:
That's very bad luck with the incident with the tree :( There's a really great book by Michael Peace called the '100% Horse' which has a chapter on horses who are afraid to be tied or boxed, he has some really simple solutions :) for the biting, it sounds like she's feeling some anxiety at you moving around in her space touching her, especially if she avoids letting you near her head and ears. I think teaching her to accept you stroking your hands over her muzzle and between her ears will help a lot. GL Bexcy-bee!
Click to expand...

I know, me and her owner were gutted when it happened! Luckily as soon as the bit if wood broke, she came straight back to us.

Sorry, I should have said at the start; she used to be fine with everything, never ever bit. Then I clipped her, and she was in season so very tense and sensitive, and since then she hasn't liked things. I think she learnt that biting would make me move away when I was clipping and has carried on. I don't think she's nervous, because she doesn't do it all the time, or even most of the time, it's just every now and then, but at least one attempt every day, with me and her owner.

Bexcy-bee x
 
Get yourself a long lead rope that you can thread through the ring and hold the end of while you groom, if she pulls back you can then give and take her through it gently, keeping it shorter when you are head end so that biting is not an option. I'd set your tie ring as high as you can reach too, it's physically harder for them to pull back from high up.
 
In the immediate case, I'd drive her away from me forcefully, using a smack if required. An elbow in the nose is also effective if we'll timed.

However I'd also work out WHY she feels the need to bite.

She wouldn't bite if she truly believes she's lower ranking than you so you need to work on her respect (ground work)

Something about what you're doing is bothering her. She's probably cold and sensitive. Roo would never even think of nipping me but he clearly is unhappy being brushed with a hard brush when he's cold (shuffles away from me). Make sure she's warm and use a softer brush and be gentle with longer stroke and careful when you reapply the brush to her skin.
 
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