Grumpy horse :(

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SarahRicoh

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Iv just recently got my old loan horse back on loan and Im really pleased! I had him for a while 2 years ago and now hes back with me.
He's a good horse and brilliant to ride-can get excitable and try it on a bit- but is safe and thats what I want after having a variety of projects.

He just has one problem. Hes very grumpy! He was like this before and has always been like this according to owner. He was gelded late and was abused so I think its just self defence but although he can just pull faces(bit like a marey mare) when being brushed/rugged/tacked up he can be quite aggressive and bite too!
Smacking him when he goes to bite/bite does NOT help at all and makes him more aggressive towards you.
He really went for and bit my YO's husband yesterday and cornered him in stable which hes never done before but I cant have that and it does ruin what could be my perfect horse :(
My YO suggested gastric ulcers today but from what iv read on it im not sure.
I just tie him up very short to tack up etc but he can still swing head round so I have to be wary. He also grinds his teeth when girth is done up. Yet when I am on him and do it up he doesnt react.

Does anyone else have an idea of whether it could be ulcers? Something else medical? OR just self defence/learned habit.
I really want to sort it if I can because he cant be happy or he wouldnt be grumpy and I cant have him biting other people/I dont want to get bitten.
How would anyone else deal with it when he does bite? He can really swing his head or lunge for people when annoyed but just tries to bite when I stroke him sometimes. I dont know if its a personal space thing?

Just looking for some ideas on what could make him so grumpy or if its just self defence from abuse? And the best way to deal with him safely and try get him out of biting?

Thanks:)
 
The best way to stop a horse biting is as it goes to bite you, bump the horse with your elbow/head/shoulder/knee, whatever bit is closest to where he is going for. How hard you bump him will depend entirely on how hard he is going for you.

My mare has never been abused and was a spoilt brat when I got her she also definitely doesn't have ulcers or any health problems. She would bite, kick and stamp when not getting her own way, not helped by the fact she came with bad mud fever which I had to treat. With her I did what I described when she went to bite. If she was kicking or stamping I continued with what I was doing til she stopped, then I would stop. This way she learnt good behaviour made me stop, not bad behaviour ;)

She is a lot happier now.

If you think there is an underlying health issue, get the vet.
 
This is exactly how my horse is. Definitely ulcers. He had/has grade 3/4 ulcers.
No other signs as good to ride, healthy eater, good weight etc
 
So if he turns his head to bite when doing girth or rugs for example where should I bump? The horse anywhere or his head? I think I read something similar in a Monty Roberts book?
What about when hes in stable and its over door?

For example I was sweeping by his door and he put his head over and tried to bite me so I put my hand up to shoo him back and he really lunged. As Im not in stable with him I wouldnt be able to 'bump' him. Any ideas then?
 
There is a very good video link which shows you how a horse with ulcers react. You will need to search on here and should find it easily.
 
He was scoped to confirm then on Gastro Gaurd and also antibiotics. Apparently only GG clears them up, all the others are arguably preventative.
 
whats he like if turned out 24/7? we had a horse who was very nasty in the stable, would bite and would lunge at people over the door ..... BUT once he was out of a stable environment and out 24/7 he was like a different horse, we dont know if he was knocked about while in a stable but the change was unbelievable...
 
Thanks Dixie when I searched earlier I saw video so will see how he reacts tomorrow. If he reacts Il get vet out, its worth a try.
He cant be out 24/7 at current yard til summer :( but when I had him before he was out 24/7 and was still the same with his biting :/
 
You shouldn't really react, move your elbow to meet him, don't look at him. You want him to believe he did it to himself.

If he is that bad that he lunges over the door I would put up a grill. I knew a horse who grabbed someone over a door and threw them and broke their arm :eek:

Does he always have hay?
 
It sounds exactly like ulcers to me.

My mare usually threatened to bite her previous owner when being tacked up. They put the bridle on first and fastened the flash noseband to stop her. I found that one reason for her behaviour ws a too-tight brow-band. She didn't like the saddle and girth either, I had to teach her to accept them.
Even with all the changes that I made, she could still be grumpy. Then I read on here that horses with ulcers often responded well to Aloe Vera juice. She now has 2 capfuls (about 60ml) daily and is much more settled. We have occasionally run out and known about it. Last time she kicked the stable wall and dislodged it! Now I make sure that we don't run out.
IIWY, I would get a bottle of AV juice (about £10 from holland 7 Barrett) and see if it makes any difference. Easier, quicker and much cheaper than the vet. And if that's not the answer, at least it is unlikely to have done any harm.
 
Think im being a bit thick here? If he turns to bite and I kinda elbow him? Surely he'll just bite my arm/elbow instead?

He's not usually that bad but he did try over stable door and was really evil towards YO's husband, yet ok with her :/
 
Thanks Pearlsasinger- In some ways I hope its ulcers so I can give him something to help him and he can become a happier horse? Rather than it being behavioural. I will get some aloe tomorrow. Do you just put it in the horses feed?
 
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