Horse biting Stifles and drawing blood.

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charliebo

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Hi all.
I have just picked up a client's horse (5 days ago). He is 6 yrs old, near TB and about 17hh. I was informed that he got a little stressed when kept in too much and would eat his rugs and kick the walls.
Have kept him out most of the time but he has to come in to be ridden.
I have noticed that when he kicks the wall, he precedes it by turning and biting his stifles or flanks. He has drawn blood in two places. I have put a bib on a headcollar so that he cannot bite himself. He is still kicking, but a lot less.
However, he now spends a lot of time with his hocks resting on his "Haybar" flexing his legs and occasionally kicking.
He is essentially a very quiet horse, has a very friendly temperament and is easy to do.
Has anyone else had a horse that has done this? Could it be connected to pain in the hocks or stifles?
 
Looks healthy and eats a healthy diet, mostly grass. Has never been fed large quantities of hardfeed and has not been in training. Definitely trying to bite stifles as opposed to stomach.
 
I used to own an extreme self mutilator, he would bite his flanks, chest and top of his legs drawing blood, when he arrived at the yard he was covered in scabs. i found a leather bib better than plastic ones as he learnt to bend the plastic ones back and I didn't want to go to the extent of him wearing a neck cradle unless it was absolutely necessary... the leather bib worked (our first one was bought from a second hand tack shop then we had a couple specially made). Self mutilation is not nice to watch (especially when a horse will go to the extent of rearing up to the lights in the stable to come down with his teeth on his own leg to draw blood) but its a habit, just like weaving, cribbing etc it needs to be managed. My horse without a bib would do it all the time but with the bib would only try when excited and when not excited with the bib on he would flap his lips making popping noises (much more pleasant), its almost like he always had to be doing something! I don't know when/where/why the habit started but I assume he had spent alot of time shut in, travelling the circuits and at home and it became his release... he didn't have a clue about going out in the paddock when he arrived would just stand there looking stunned, he learnt to go of and have a kick hop, skip and buck and a good roll but would be ready to come back in 10 minutes later and would stand watching the gate til you came to get him.
 
Thank you Teffy. Nice to know someone else has experience of this. The strange thing about him is that he is so chilled in every other way. Am going to talk to his owners to see if he has had any long term box rest.
 
I had one that did this, spins round stable like a cat chasing its tail!! He doesn't do it with rugs off, he is just hot blooded, he always wears one less rug than any of the others!
 
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