How would you deal with Ginga's biting?

rara007

rara007

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Just reading you replies to 'what would you do if a horse bit you' and most of you suggest giving it a wallop if it bites you over the stable. What would you do for Ginga???

He swears and tries to bite you swinging his head around every time you tack him up, change rugs or harness up. He also tries to get you when you leave the stable. This is a bad habit he has had most of his life, we were told about it when we bought him. I would hit him, but it really makes very little difference, his neck is like a rock. TBH I have just ignored it since we have had him he does it less now, and he only tends to 'get' me occasionaly, but tries every time.

Any thoughts......

Thanks for any views/help.

Haz
 
I've got a horse like that - I've had her 17 years! She's 24. She just doesn't like to be fussed, just likes to be left alone. She has always been the same but I love her never the less!
 
Ginga loves people, but just con't stop him self. He really is one of the friendliest. He constantly wickers to you if your at the stables, and loves a groom, but go close witha rug saddle or harness and it just bursts out of him.
 
If its not a problem for you then you dont need to do anything i suppose, sounds as though you have got used to it however if the horse bites other people then it would be an issue
 
hitting them doesn't achieve anything, in my experience it is often the cause of biting and makes the problem worse!

you need to use horse psychology - not human psychology, the herd leader doesn't hit a youngster that is above his station. this horse thinks he's your boss or he's been badly handled by humans, either way it needs sorting out, you've obviously realised that ignoring it hasn't stopped his behaviour and hitting him certainly won't! how long have you been putting up with this?!

Assert yourself, maybe get a local whisperer/trainer if you need help, but don't suffer it, the horse isn't happy being this way!
 
I have an 18 year old pony that was given away because he bites. He's was orginally badly treated in a riding school and then spent years being moved from livery yard to livery yard. As far as we know every time somebody would think they could "sort him out" and he has obviously been beaten for it .
The end result was a very unhappy, aggressive pony who nobody could deal with in a stable so he was left out unridden for 3 years until we got him. We have had him for 2 years and have never shouted at him or hit him and it has taken that long for him to trust us. He will still try on occasions to bite and we leave him alone in his stable but if you know him and how to deal with him then he is fine.
Sometimes I think hitting horses especially around the head is not the answer, people have made this pony the way he is.
The other side of him is he is a brilliant competion pony who will try his best for you and he needed someone to try and understand him, definitely not to be bullied.
 
He does bite other people as much as me, but as it is a private yard and no one else does anything with him it is not really an issue. Will consider it Lps, I am pretty sure he thinks I am his boss, he never takes the p riding or driving. Bronte- I really wouldn't want to do that. He is an untrusting nervy sort, and doing that I can only see it escalating.
 
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It sounds more of a habit than nastiness

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i agree, i've met some nasty ones (have you read my 'picked up by the tit' post??!) and this one sounds like an angel by comparison! but i would still sort out the problem however small, but i am a perfectionist... oh, and it's also my job!
 
if he only does it when tack, harness, rugs etc are brought or fiddled with, i would think it is caused by discomfort, or the anticipation of discomfort. i'd get a good mctimoney chiro to check him over, and have a good look at the inside of his saddle.
i can't stand having horses around like this. i'm sure they're trying very hard to tell me something, and won't rest until i know what it is tbh.
 
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if he only does it when tack, harness, rugs etc are brought or fiddled with, i would think it is caused by discomfort, or the anticipation of discomfort.

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that's a very good point, it may also be that there once was discomfort, horses remember these things (like being head shy etc) and act out of habit, if he's fine when ridden maybe he's had a 'rough' person tack him up in the past?
 
Sophie69-I am normally facing away from his head anyway, and i just ignore it.

The lady who had him before made a big deal out of it and would slap him each time he tried so it took her hours to warm up.

mctimoney chiro- Just looking up what one of these is. The other week the GB event back person had a look over him and didn;t find anything major.

The lady who had him before only occasionaly rode him, but when she did she was FAR to big for him....

Thanks every one, will look into it.
 
The lady who had him before only occasionaly rode him, but when she did she was FAR to big for him....

I think the answer might lie there- your horse maybe see's the tack coming and remembers pain he had with previous owner or tack

Alot of people may disagree but as long as your sure he's not in any discomfort I'd be inclined to ignore it, and just put a sign up saying he bites- stay back
 
Thanks..

She did mainly drive him, she told us she rode him, we never saw him ridden but she would have been huge on him. She must have weighed 20 stone, he is a 13.2.

No need for a sign, no one else comes here except us, my parents and one sister can deal with it, the other is petrified of him!
 
Thumper is a biter. He has got me twice quite badly - and made numerous attempts. Usually when tacking up or fussing with a rug.

Whilst I've always tried not to make a big thing of it - he did get me this week on the back, and I'm sorry to say I lost it. Having thumped him in the neck, I flung a headcollar at him.

Interestingly when he went to do the same last night a mere growl from me was enough to stop him.........

EDT: In Thumper's case - he is not in pain, it's just grumpiness. He is seen regularly by a physio - and his tack fits beautifully.
 
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