bite bite bite bite bite

kerrieberry2

kerrieberry2

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Hello all

I put a post on last week about my rising 2 gelding trying to bite me! well the saga continues!

He doesn't seem to be doing it agressively but wants to bite everything, he picked up a fly mask earlier and was playing with it! hes been going through the box of brushes picking things out and biting on them, he seems to quite like the sponge! he does it to the wheel barrow, the water buckets, his lead rope! and one of the mares in the field. He won't even try to bite my mare but she was very harsh with him when he arrived 2 months ago, so I think he knows to not try it on with her! however, since he's started biting she's started to accept him and they've been grooming each other and sharing hay etc, which would have never happened before!

someone suggested that when he tries to bite me to just push his face away and that might help but that to him makes it seem like a game! he backs off when I shout no but that means that I always need to see what hes doing and where he is!

does anyone else have any other suggestions? He doesn't have any fear of the whip etc, again this is another toy, not that i want him to be scared of it, but would be nice if he respected it!

also for the first time today, him and the other mare got extremely stressed when I hacked my mare out, they were covered in sweat when i got back! I'm only on a small yard, just theh 3 horses, so they do tend to get a bit clingy!
 
is he teething?
my rising 4 year old gelding can be nippy and it was particulalry frequent when he was teething.
doesn't excuse it, but it may become less frequent if that is the case, once whichever teeth are causing him discomfort come through. hope for the future at least!
 
I did wonder that, but wasn't sure if he would do, most of the info I've seen says about 2 1/2 yrs old, but im hoping that is all it is! as he's only started doing it in the last week or so! He wont let me look at his teeth just tries biting me again and lifting his head in the air! he's been very good with his mouth up until now, takes a bit with no problems etc, so lets just hope he's developing new teeth a bit earlier :)
 
Mine is nearly 5 and still has nippy moments cos his teeth, trying getting him a turnip to chew it seems to help mine. you probably know this already but no tit bits and dont play with his mouth :-)
 
With him constantly picking up stuff it sounds like teething to me too. Try giving him something to play with, even just part of an old leadrope hung up while you groom. Daughters pony has no teeth issues but is just one of those ponies that likes to play with stuff. At rising 5 she is more than past the point where people are an option, but still empties water buckets, tips wheelbarrows etc. Footballs in haynets are good cheap toys. If we are watching she also loves a leather football in a large bucket, & an old wellie to play with.
 
ah cool, thanks guys, thats made me feel much better! and he doesnt get any treats, so thats defo not the problem :)

I was thinking about the football idea and he does seem to like kicking the buckets etc! he loves the salt like and the lickets, so maybe just need to give him something else to do with his mouth! i have left him with the fly mask to play with for now! will go have a hunt around the barn and see if we have any footballs for him hehe!
 
When I bought my 4 yr old mare 7 weeks ago, she had got into a terrible habit of biting. Someone on here gave me a great suggestion - which was hold a stiff dandy brush where she usually tries to nip - and instead of being able to bite me, she got a very prickly thing on her nose instead! Works a treat - she only tried it a few more times after that and now hardly ever tries to bite! :)
 
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