How to stop a horse biting

[katieg1986]

I am working with a seven year old Anglo Arab that insists on nipping/biting.

He does it when being led in and out of the field, when he is stood still being groomed. He seems to forget when I am working him from the ground but goes straight back to it when we've finished.

He grabs everything in his mouth, which I don't mind so much, and he does playful nips and proper bites.

How do I stop it?

 

[Alyth]

I have found making them back stops them biting! But you need to teach them how to do this first!! Then watch for the horse giving you 'precues'!! Then make him back up before he bites you! It's actually easier than it sounds but you would need to learn how to ask and what signs to look for!!

 

[pennyturner]

Hold something pointy (not sharp) in your hand, so that as he comes for you he makes contact with the pointy hard thing. Don't jab him with it. You don't want to make him afraid of you. Make it so that he jabs himself by attempting to bite.

I have one that tries to take a lump out of anyone doing up his girth. He doesn't do it to me because he hits his face with my elbow.

 

[Dry Rot]

This ^^^^

But your "I don't mind so much" worries me. Are you tolerating what you call "playful nips"? When training any behaviour, you need to be totally consistent which means checking every incident and minding every incident whether you consider it good natured or not.

I've trained other species and been a falconer since the days when there were about 20 in the country. Some hawks bite in the early stages of training and they really mean it! So we give them something to bite, like a pencil smeared with mustard, and they soon stop because the behaviour is unrewarding. A bit more difficult with a horse but these things always work better when the subject discovers for itself that its behaviour punishes itself rather than the trainer striking out or smacking or reacting in some way.

Incidentally, I was amused to hear from the local WHW inspector that when he was in the mounted police any officer who got bitten or kicked was promptly put on a charge -- for not recognising the warning signs that horses usually give before biting or kicking!

 

[LauraWheeler]

A good trick when leading them is to swing the end of the rope casuly as you walk along. Then if they try to bite you they get a bob on the nose from the rope. They soon learn to led nicely.

 

[fburton]

Hold something pointy (not sharp) in your hand, so that as he comes for you he makes contact with the pointy hard thing. Don't jab him with it. You don't want to make him afraid of you. Make it so that he jabs himself by attempting to bite.

I carry something pointy in both my hands at all times. It's called a finger! I use it to ensure nibbling has an immediate uncomfortable consequence.

See post #29 of this thread for detailed instructions:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?621815-How-to-stop-rein-amp-leadrope-chewing

If you don't feel confident enough to do this, that's fine - you should always put safety first. However, I find it works very well - better than anything else I tried previously. It is still my method of choice to STOP nibbling once and for all.

If OP's Arab always lunges to bite, some other instant punishment may be safer, such as putting them to work as Alyth suggests, or pennyturner's suggestion of arranging for the action to lead to a self-bump. It has to be instant and done consistently.

 

[fburton]

So we give them something to bite, like a pencil smeared with mustard, and they soon stop because the behaviour is unrewarding. A bit more difficult with a horse but these things always work better when the subject discovers for itself that its behaviour punishes itself rather than the trainer striking out or smacking or reacting in some way.

I so agree with this!

Incidentally, I was amused to hear from the local WHW inspector that when he was in the mounted police any officer who got bitten or kicked was promptly put on a charge -- for not recognising the warning signs that horses usually give before biting or kicking!

Good for them! I'd be prepared to wager the vast majority of times that people get bitten or kicked they didn't see (or ignored) the warning signs.

 

[katieg1986]

Thanks everyone - what 'pointy' object would you suggest? The trouble is - its not always my hands he bites, my arms and boobs are a particular favourite of his!!!

He knows 'back' very well so will try that suggestion too.

The 'I don't mind so much' was at the oral fixation thing he has for everything and anything, not the biting!

 

[mirage]

Knobberpony used to nip when we first got her,and the only thing that worked was a sharp pinch on her neck as soon as she made a move to bite.She never does it to me now,but will to someone else if she thinks she can get away with it.

 

[AdorableAlice]

An upturned dandy brush put a stop to a mouthy colt I had. He buried his pretty nose on it a few times and gave up snatching at me.

 

[Auslander]

An upturned dandy brush put a stop to a mouthy colt I had. He buried his pretty nose on it a few times and gave up snatching at me.

I was about to say that!

 

[AdorableAlice]

I was about to say that!

Great minds think alike, either that or we are both of the older generation and taught by a nagsman in the past.

 

[Auslander]

Great minds think alike, either that or we are both of the older generation and taught by a nagsman in the past.

I'm 40, so in limbo between being young and silly, and old and wise! Most of my acquired wisdom came from my grandfather - who was a proper old fashioned horseman!

 

[maree t]

We have a similar problem. Our pony is an 8 year old NF that we have had since he was 3. He is a monkey, he will pick up and run off with anything left in his reach (hammer etc when fencing ) he has the poo picker if you put it down, NEVER leave the full wheelbarrow in his reach for a second. He also nips us , he does realise its wrong as as soon as he has done it he jumps backwards waiting to be told off. He is told off and never given treats etc, he just cant seem to help himself . ( my daughter took him to a lesson on saturday and she kept warning her other PC friends to watch it with him and she took her eye off him and he bit her bottom !) He just wont stop and we have tried most things.

 

[AdorableAlice]

We have a similar problem. Our pony is an 8 year old NF that we have had since he was 3. He is a monkey, he will pick up and run off with anything left in his reach (hammer etc when fencing ) he has the poo picker if you put it down, NEVER leave the full wheelbarrow in his reach for a second. He also nips us , he does realise its wrong as as soon as he has done it he jumps backwards waiting to be told off. He is told off and never given treats etc, he just cant seem to help himself . ( my daughter took him to a lesson on saturday and she kept warning her other PC friends to watch it with him and she took her eye off him and he bit her bottom !) He just wont stop and we have tried most things.

In my hands he would be muzzled at all times other than when he is being ridden or turned out with no one in the field.

 

[fburton]

Thanks everyone - what 'pointy' object would you suggest? The trouble is - its not always my hands he bites, my arms and boobs are a particular favourite of his!!!

If you can intercept a nibble with an upturned dandy brush, you can also do this with your hand/finger (as described). This method is not for everyone, but it has worked for me with every horse I have used it with.

 

[Merrymoles]

My boy was a biter when he arrived (ripped my coat three times, gave me a bruised arm etc) and is still mouthy but has more or less stopped the proper biting now. He got the elbow message where, when his mouth tried to make contact, it found my elbow was in the way. He was also head shy, probably from being smacked previously, so I had to use a method which would stop it without reinforcing the head shyness.
A sharp elbow in the way, but not moving towards him, means that now a quick "uh uh" when he thinks about biting is enough.
Anyone got a method to stop him always grabbing the headcollar noseband in his mouth when I'm putting it on? I swear he thinks it's his bridle. Other the other hand, he is a complete joy to bridle! Oh, and I can't leave tools or full barrows etc anywhere near him either but my old lad was the same - oo look, something to play with!

 

[YasandCrystal]

Hold something pointy (not sharp) in your hand, so that as he comes for you he makes contact with the pointy hard thing. Don't jab him with it. You don't want to make him afraid of you. Make it so that he jabs himself by attempting to bite.

I have one that tries to take a lump out of anyone doing up his girth. He doesn't do it to me because he hits his face with my elbow.

I agree with this. If you carry one of those hoofpicks with a brush - brush side to his muzzle when leading it will be an unpleasant encounter if he goes in for the bite. I also agree that sharp fingers and elbows are good tools to use.

 

[Fellewell]

Great minds think alike, either that or we are both of the older generation and taught by a nagsman in the past.

£5 a week, life in a static caravan and no one, two-legged or four-legged moved a muscle without his say so. I've had so many reasons to thank him over the years though.

As for biting; when a horse moves his head into your personal space he's testing the waters. If his advances aren't rejected at this stage he will up the ante and rest his muzzle on you. You might think that's cute, it's not. He's worked out he can invade your space, you're a pushover why shouldn't he bite you?!

Nip this behaviour in the bud would be my advice.

 

[mandwhy]

I had a really mouthy nippy gelding on loan, I was covered in bruises to start with! It was not malicious but that didn't make it less painful. I just held out either a spiky dandy brush and made him prick himself hard on the muzzle, or my elbow and made sure he got a good bop, I did give him a smack and shout NO if he managed to bite me still, but it went away fairly quickly once I got tough with him (I was far too soft to start with!). I also discouraged him from following me about and being in my space, and pushed his face away from me when he was being 'nosey' (I didn't like this much and wanted a horse I could pet to be honest) He was the mouthiest horse, lead ropes demolished in minutes, chewed tack, he would constantly try and get the reins in his mouth whilst being ridden (I thought this was impossible if being ridden properly...he was very good at it!). Our relationship was much better in general once we had the biting sorted out. I freely admit I was being a bunny hugger to start with and blurred the lines between 'aww he's being friendly' and 'he's literally trying to eat me'!

 

[debbien]

I agree that the dandy brush is a good idea..a metal curry comb works as well!

 

[fburton]

I personally wouldn't go as far as using a metal curry comb because of the risk of injury to the horse.

 

[asmp]

At a behaviour training session we were told to have a small inbox with something that made a noise when shaken (e.g. Marbles) and to shake it when the horse made to bite you.

Also (I'll get shot down for this), many years ago when my new youngster took a chunk out of the back of my leg, I followed advice and bit him back. I did it on his muzzle (tasted horrid) but he never did it again and was a lovely horse in all the years I had him.

 

[yaffsimone1]

I have found making them back stops them biting! But you need to teach them how to do this first!! Then watch for the horse giving you 'precues'!! Then make him back up before he bites you! It's actually easier than it sounds but you would need to learn how to ask and what signs to look for!!

I agree, my mare will look at me with the glint in her eye, I get about 3 seconds to do something before she nips and that is usually put my hand on her chest and push her back. She knows full well why i'm pushing her back, its all about me getting in their first.

She know's exactly what she is doing, very rarely does she nip without 'telling' me of her intentions first

 

[yaffsimone1]

I will definitely try the dandy brush or curry comb technique

 

[paulineh]

Many years ago I had a cob colt come and sta with me before he was gelded , when he then went to the owners livery yard. Was working at the water trough and had a mole wrench in my hand. The colt bit me and just a pur reaction I turned and caught his nose. He never bit again. I am not saying that what you should do but it was the quick reaction that caught him.

I have in the past thumped the bitter in the guts. They bit they get smacked.

A horse that is in you space when you are leading them, I would carry a schooling whip and every time they moved towards me I would flick the end of the whip. I would never hit a horse just give them a warning.

 

[Dry Rot]

My boy was a biter when he arrived (ripped my coat three times, gave me a bruised arm etc) and is still mouthy but has more or less stopped the proper biting now. He got the elbow message where, when his mouth tried to make contact, it found my elbow was in the way. He was also head shy, probably from being smacked previously, so I had to use a method which would stop it without reinforcing the head shyness.
A sharp elbow in the way, but not moving towards him, means that now a quick "uh uh" when he thinks about biting is enough.
Anyone got a method to stop him always grabbing the headcollar noseband in his mouth when I'm putting it on? I swear he thinks it's his bridle. Other the other hand, he is a complete joy to bridle! Oh, and I can't leave tools or full barrows etc anywhere near him either but my old lad was the same - oo look, something to play with!

If it tasted awful, he wouldn't want it in his moth. There's your clue!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Mustard, chilli paste, marmite.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Mustard, chilli paste, marmite.

my lot love marmite!

I use a jabby finger for youngsters, have also bitten back in the past-worked a treat with an older horse but they taste bad and its not without dangers.

 

[AdorableAlice]

My old hunter loved candy floss. It cost me a fortune at our point to point where we did the loose horse catching, he would pinch candy floss off little kids.