Help needed on a certain bad habbit. Spolit cob in a bad way

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thatsmygirl

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Iv got a cob who's 6 yrs old, he's been a spoilt brat and has a few problems. Iv only had him a few days but just want advice to the best way to deal with his problem. He's very very nippy, now he doesn't bite but he has constantly got his mouth open going for your clothing and it doesn't stop. Even to Stoke him over the door is hard as he's just going for your arm. It's not nastyness and if I hold my arm still he won't go for me. It's like he's searching for food the whole time and this has to stop.
Any ideas to nip this in the bud now would be great.
 
As a first step I'd stop feeding anything by hand and make sure that no-one else does either. Don't carry food or treats in your pockets - eventually he'll wrk out that you don't have anything for him and stop searching.
 
^^^^^

This.

All food for him from now on must come either in a haynet or a bucket. Once he's learnt some manners then you can review the situation and chance feeding him a carrot or whatever from your hand. I'm sure he's very clever and will soon realise what's going on. My boy has a wonderful line in cute looks and will gently search for titbits, sometimes they're there hiding away forgotten in my pocket, most times they're not. He knows (now) that being rude will get him nowhere, charm might just produce something for him... And luckily for me he accepts a pat with just as much pleasure as a treat. Even from strangers.

Every time he starts to get rude/bargy again, you must stop feeding the treats, he will hopefully learn, and if he doesn't - well no more treats EVER
 
Iv doing these things already. It is a habbit that has been going on for a few years as old owner said she could not get him out off it. It's so annoying
 
Its just learnt behaviour, its not something you can fix overnight. You just need to keep going as you re, dont feed treats at all or have them on you at all as said above. Dont let the horse into your space at all unless invited. He will soon learn.
 
He's got good manners other wise. Is not pushy at all and takes a step back as soon as you open the stable door. Leads perfect even by children it's just this mouth problem. He is getting no treats what so ever and never will. Good as gold for his dinner, he will not go to his bowl until I move away.
 
There's a shetland at my livery like this. If he tries nipping (it's always playfully and never in a nasty manner) we rub the sides of his month, by his nostrils, as fast as we can, until he starts licking and chewing. He used to try and avoid it at first but he gives in quicker now and is a lot less nippy.
 
You've only had him a few days, give him a chance! He'll get the idea.

If that's the worst he ever does, I'll have him if you don't want him;)
 
Have you had his teeth checked? my 4 yr old cob did exactly the same when i first got him, always trying to get hold of things in his mouth, playing with my coat, leadrope even trying to chew brushes when i groomed him, had the vet out to check his teeth and his molars were that sharp they had cut into his cheeks and he had ulcers! I have his teeth done every 6 months now and he is fine now!
 
He may still not stop completely though... Genie is VERY lippy - she will happily just lip your hand - never uses her teeth. As a result she does not get anything from the hand apart from when she returns to the lorry when competing or the odd ocassion my Mum sees to her. I've had her 2 1/2 years now and she lips just as much as she did when I bought her.
 
I had a little coloured cob like this, he actually grabbed my finger at one point as I was putting his bridle on, he wasn't nasty just grabbing all the time, his previous owner had stuffed him with polo mints at every opportunity, I stopped giving him anything by hand and pushed his head away everytime he tried to molest me with his mouth, in the end he gave up and stopped grabbing.
 
My cob was like this when i first got him, as above with all the posts stop feeding my hand, but mine would still push even tho i had nothing! so i would make a high pitched noise when he went to bite or go searching, it certainly did the trick! now to work on the bolshyness as he will barge you given the chance, is he a welshy? x
 
Beckie65 said:
My cob was like this when i first got him, as above with all the posts stop feeding my hand, but mine would still push even tho i had nothing! so i would make a high pitched noise when he went to bite or go searching, it certainly did the trick! now to work on the bolshyness as he will barge you given the chance, is he a welshy? x
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No he isn't a welshy, just a standard cob.
 
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