Horse has started biting! Advice needed please!

[Dumbo]

My horse has always been grumpy (just ears back) in the morning's before he's had a feed or hay but cheers up quickly and is lovely the rest of the day.
In the last month or so he's been threatening to bite, I mean ears pinned back, mouth open and baring his teeth. He does it over the stable door, when I take a rug off and particularly when I go to pick out his front feet.
He can't be hungry so I have no explanation why he's started doing it!
How do I stop him from going to bite all the time?
I've tried shouting and hitting him on the shoulder but neither work.
I want my affectionate horse back, not this aggressive one I'm starting to be scared of.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Its difficult to say, could be he is not sure who is the boss [it should be you!].
A change in behaviour could be so many things ............ maybe ask vet to come out to check him anyway, do you have a lot of experience, how long have you had him, has the routine changed, does he need out more, less food, more exercise , more excitement, more routine, is there a problem with another horse, or is someone teasing him..........
Tie him up for grooming and feet. Growl at him if he does it when you are outside the stable.

 

[Loubidy]

Could he be in pain somewhere? My horse has always been grumpy and a biter but one day my mum went to take his rug off (she rides him too) and he squealed and tried to kick. We have since found something in his stomach (awaiting biopsy result).

Not saying it's the same thing but could mean something is agitating him? I've heard similar thing with horses getting headaches.

Just might be worth looking in to, I prefer to feel sorry for my horse than think he's turned malicious.

 

[amandap]

My horse has always been grumpy (just ears back) in the morning's before he's had a feed or hay but cheers up quickly and is lovely the rest of the day.



He can't be hungry so I have no explanation why he's started doing it!

Are you sure he can't be hungry?

Gastric ulcers or general gut upset would would be my first thought.

 

[Marydoll]

If youre worried he might be sore somewhere, and he might be, get him vet checked, and i know some will disagree but sore or not if he were mine he'd be getting a crack for attempting to bite me, its not acceptable behaviour

 

[p87]

How positive are you that he isn't hungry?

My horse has gastric ulcers and when he gets hungry he starts getting grumpy and nippy, mostly with the other horses in the field but can be with me as well. It's been under control all summer but now the grass has stopped growing they have flared up again. He's on a gut balancer just now with adlib hay and one chaffy bucket feed a day and this is keeping him much happier.

If you are 100% sure he isn't pain, I'd be keeping a stiff dandy brush in my hand and jabbing him on the muzzle with the bristle side when he goes to bite. He'll soon learn. But please exhaust all other options first, it does sound a bit extreme to have suddenly started doing this.