Grabbing the headcollar with his mouth when I'm trying to put it on

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yvonne36

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Advice please as I haven't a clue what to do. He used to be great at getting his headcollar on - no problems at all until he was backed last year and now all he wants to do is put the headcollar into his mouth like a bit. He was first bitted 2 years ago and everything was fine. He's 4 now. After a wee fight he does stand still for me to put it on but it's not much fun if your fingers are numb and accidentally go in his mouth(ouch) or its pouring rain and you're trying to bring him in!
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I used to have a very mouthy youngster, everything had to go in his mouth! I'd say spend some time putting the collar on and off and reward his good behaviour, maybe clicker training could help
 
I have to open my noseband part with my hand as wide as possible on my rising 4 year old as given the chance he will clamp his mouth on the headcollar and have a good chomp.

Not really sure how to stop it apart from possibly having slightly bigger noseband part to allow you to part it a bit more to almost skip the bit where he is able to put in his mouth. Good luck anyway
 
Sorry i know i might be no help but my gelding does this with everything - bridle / headcollar/ lead rope - he is 12 now and hes always done it - but he is such a good boy with everything ive never worried about it. He mouths rather than bites things and doesnt move about to evade- he just likes things in his mouth.
Even when i lead him he likes having the rope in his mouth (only whilst we are in the field though). I will be interested to see what others think.
 
My horse does this, and he's 25! He's always done it, and seems to know when I am particularly in a hurry, standing knee deep in mud and fighting off other pushy horses at tea time, or have very cold hands!
The clicker training idea seems to be a good one for losing this habit - in fact, although I have never done it, clicker training has always seemed to me to be a very useful technique if one is consistent.
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the chewing stage =D we have a 12yr old 17hh gelding at work who still does it, hes a bugger and chews anything! he grabs hold of it with his mouth while your trying to get it on. and we have a stallion thats does it becuase he is so eager to go out sometimes (we lead them out in bridles) that he expects it to be a bit when its only a headcollar. just persevere, dont loose your temper with him, just correct it and take it out of his mouth hel soon take the hint
 
Mine does this with anything and he is rising ten. If you leave a fork/broom unattended in his stable for even a second he'll throw it on the floor for you. But he really is so well mannered in every other respect and so honest, safe and capable to ride that I really don't sweat the small stuff.

It also takes him ages to drop the bit too which can be infuriating if you're in a hurry, although the production of a treat normally will get him to leave it, funny that
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Mine does this too and he's 12yrs old. Hes always done it he loves having something in his mouth most of the time, it makes him happier. When walking he like to have the lead rope to chew/suck. I just have 2 wait till his mouth is shut to put the head collar on.
 
My old horse did it and he was 13, so I used to give him the end of the leadrope just to partly get it on. Our mini shetland does it occasionally if he's feeling naughty... but especially if someone doesn't know him then he always tries it on with them!
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Ditto my old boy used to do that (at 24). Must admit I generally found it funny although occasionally he did catch my hand rather than the headcollar. Am sure I would demand better manners from my other horse or indeed any one else's horse but I just used to let him get on with it. I don't think he did it when he was younger and working as I am sure it would have annoyed me in those days.
 
According to Richard Maxwell it can be a sign of back trouble. Our cob used to do it so we had Max out to do his back. The horse stopped doing it pretty much straight away, so I guess there's something in it.
 
My boy, now 22 has always done this! But he wasn't gelded until he was 7 and he puts everything in his mouth that i'm trying to use: tie-up string, haynet cord, you name it!

He definately does not have a bad back - in fact my physio told me once to stop booking her in unless there was a problem as his routine checks were more of an expensive massage!

My younger boy does this occasionally and he was also gelded late - all be in earlier than the old one, at 3!
 
Max is a brilliant equine chiropractor.
The cob I had that did it was a gelding, & Max himself had a stallion who did it that he described as downright dangerous! until Max did his back !
 
My 4 year old does this but he has only just been gelded, so he's just being a typical young stallion!

You just need to have the knack and make sure the noseband is open enough that you can put it on quickly before they are ready.
 
Yep, another one here with (geldings!) that do this. Older boy just sometimes, and only a little bit, but when tied up he will mouth rope etc. Younger one (3 rising 4) does this a LOT! Its quite funny most of time, there is a knack to getting it over his nose quickly. He also likes to hold the rope when you lead him - doesn't pull back or misbehave in any other way so TBH i just ignore it. Older boy's previous owner said at 3 he was just as bad, and by not reacting he eventually grew out of it! Def going through 'mouthy' stage tho, has perfected swinging his leadrope in perfect circles if left with it. He also removed two rugs from his stable last night and put them outside, and rearranged all the tools I had left within reach. Oh and he nicked my mum's car keys the other day - fortunately spotted the keyring hanging out the side of his mouth!

ETA they both also suck coats, grab toggles etc and will throw things (eg headcollars or breakfast buckets) out of stable if impatient about going out! But yet I can keep all of their rugs etc in their stables and they never touch them.
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Is it a stallion tendency? Is it something cheeky/intelligent horses do? My 10 year old gelding does this, he also picks up mucking out tools in his mouth, and he will pick his headcollar up in his mouth if it's hanging up as if to say "put this on me please, I want to go out!". At my old yard the YO used to leave it on the ground by his field entrance and several times he had picked it up and thrown it in the water trough!
He likes to investigate anything I have in my hand - brushes, hoof picks etc by licking and sniffing. He also tries to suck my coat. I tend to leave him to it is long as he's being safe. I just thought he was quite intelligent and inquisitive.
We think maybe he was weaned too early?
 
my boy (quite *colty* generally) will do it. He's only 5 and EVERYTHING is like soooooooooooooooooooooooooo exciting and chewing something/anything helps him release that excitiment without being naughty in a more bolshy way. if he's feeling fresh and is dying to have a bronc and a gallop when i turn him out he often grabs and chews the lead rope whilst im opening the gate, if i dont let him he piaffes and snort and leaps around, which makes my life harder!!! i figure its his way of saying yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah so dont get after him too much for it. he isnt nippy generally and if he's not excited he doesnt do it.
 
the just exed stalllion (8yo) i was working with always does this when i went to put his headcollar on. Not nastily or evading having it on (as he loves coming out to do anything with you!) just because he likes stuff in his mouth! jacket zips, grooming brushes.... anything! hed even groom you whilst you groom him if you let him!! always mouthing!

I just stayed quiet consistent, and as others said, ensure the noseband was open enough to quickly slip it on! luckily he was a welsh D with quite a nice size nose to wizz it on!
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QR Also my older boy still does it despite regular back checks from well respected physio, and hopefully 3 year old doesn't have bad back yet, so think maybe not always related to bad back.
 
My 4 yo does it, has always had to have soomething in his mouth. If there is any truth in the back problem thing, we all need our horses checking!? I just put it down to colty behaviour that stays with some horses ?(he is gelded now) Mine is very pushy, he knows his own strength and uses it to his advantage. He has to be 'sorted out' every so often or he gets too big for his boots. He is sometimes led with a chain and he likes to chew that too!
 
Mine loves pulling the elasticated toggles that come out of my hood
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And will try to eat my phone if I am texting in his presence and not paying him any attention. He is a gelding, and a very un-stallion like one.
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Nothing else of mine has ever done it - not even the rig colt. Just the cob. I went to one of Max's talks & he mentioned that this behavior can indicate a back problem. He came out to the cob next time he was in the area, did some chiropractic treatment & the behavior stopped. I don't suppose for one moment that every horse who does this has a back prob, but it can be an indication. Also there is a difference between treatments administered by equine chiro's, physio's & osteo's same as in the equivalent human practitioners
 
My boy does this and it's definitely to do with being excited. He is naturally mouthy. He will do it first thing in morning, when he's first out it will be mild, when he's last out it's with more effort!

If he's last to come in he does it to the handle on the gate, if he's tied up and I'm beside him he does it to my jacket etc

PS Also has good back.
 
My horse does it and he's 26- he'll hold his leadrope for you as well! He also pulls toggles/ zips, chews pockets and very gently 'grasps' fingers- not hard enough to hurt at all but just so you can't move. Once he's let go he'll 'smile' at you by curling his upper lip. Think he knows it gets him lots of attention (also is a very reliable whip holder at shows!) and sweeties (he's a spoilt old thug in reality). His back's fine- he just knows how to get attention and he loves it!
 
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According to Richard Maxwell it can be a sign of back trouble. Our cob used to do it so we had Max out to do his back. The horse stopped doing it pretty much straight away, so I guess there's something in it.

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I've cured 100s of horses of this aggravating habit WITHOUT touching their backs - so there's probably nothing in it!
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It is incredibly common in youngsters - from foals to 3 year olds - and twice as prevalent in colts. If it's not nipped in the bud early, it becomes a game they continue to play!

I remember when I was working on a racing yard and had the job of interviewinga stable ladwho claimed experience with colts. I told him to 'go into THAT box, put a headcollar on the colt, and bring him out to the sand roll.' Five minutes later, after much swearing from the box, he came out and said: "You can't put a headcollar on that horse." I replied: "Wrong! YOU can't put a headcollar on that horse!" He looked at me sideways and said: "That's what I said." Needless to say, he didn't get a job as anyone with half an ounce of horse sense COULD put a headcollar on the colt in question - HE was easy!

The cure in a youngster is to approach, put leadrope around neck and pass your hand under and around his jaw until your right hand is on his nose. Then bring the noseband up with your left hand and hold it in place while - with your right hand - you pass the headpiece up over the poll. At that point, take the headpiece with your left hand, and do it up. Job done - no fuss. With a silly prat who should no better but keeps trying, smack the side of his face just above the corners and say NO! Repeat as necessary.

It starts when youngsters are teething and want SOMETHING in their mouth (noseband, you, whatever!) It then becomes a habit if you let it. I am sure the odd horse who does it also has a bad back - but .....
 
My gelding does it as just likes to have things in his mouth, usually takes hold briefly of some part of headcollar when I go to get him in from field and sometimes when we are going from stable but only for a few secs and then drops it again so I can get headcollar on though sometimes when we wander in he'll pick up the leadrope and chew for a short while en route. Just one of his many little traits but one I have no problem with.
 
My friends quiet aged totally unstalliony lovely heavyweight cob gelding does this all the time. Every time you go to put headcollar on it ends up in his mouth.

Usually allowing him the rope to mouth stops him grabbing the headcollar. He is also very rubbery mouthed generally and often sucks your whole hand into his mouth if you are not careful - only gently of course. Totally unrealated but he also loves overripe bananas skin and all
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In every other way is is absolutely perfect so she hasn't bothered to try to stop him.
 
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