Nibbly Nusciance horse help please

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Hawks27

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My horse is a little darling most of the time is quite laid back easy to groom rug / tack up school on ground (not backed yet) etc and all though 7 he has reverted back to babyish ness lately he is obsessed with chewing my coat / pony tail/ lead rope etc I can't stand anywhere near his head with out being constantly harassed pushing his face away or giving him a tap on the shoulder if I feel teeth has stopped working normally a short sharp oi or a clap of the hands makes him stop but he's becoming a stubborn obstinate pig about it now and barely flinches before going straight back to his chewing of me, even sending him back out of the way doesn't last 2secs.
He's quite light on commands normally a simple waft on the hand normally has him move over back or weather I need him but I just don't know how to get him out of this pesky nibbling as don't want to be smacking him and getting nasty. but it can't continue as it will only lead to biting and quite frankly getting tiresome having to constantly push his head away when am doing anything with him in the stable
Any clever hints and tips that don't involve screaming and pony spanking greatly appreciated and there's homemade apple and blackberry crumble on offer for all :-)
 
I have a young mare like this. She is sweet 90% of the time, but then can get carried away and turn the mouthing into a nip. I never treat her, only putting any food into a bucket. I use a sharp pointy finger in the side of her mouth or face or chest as appropriate to deter her mouthy behaviour.
I really believe that it is just one of those things you needs to continually fend off in a consistent way and eventually the penny will drop along with the behaviour.
My mare got a smack on the mouth yesterday when I was depooing her field and she actually nipped me - I was lucky I timed it perfectly. I don't advocate that for every horse though - mine is a feisty mare and not at all shy.

I have a 3 yr old that also nibbles and is 'in your face' out of sheer friendliness. I agree it is very tiresome and I feel the same as you that I am constantly having to correct. I am assured by someone with more experience than I that you just need to be patient and do this constant correction to get the result you want. Good luck OP. Here's to kind mannerly horses in the making.;)
 
Thanks for this quite helpful and re-assuring, he is very in your face and over friendly and this is largely down to him being a severy stallion till 5 and always ebing kept on his own as all though he has been cut 2yrs if turned out with the ladies he still wants to have his wicked way all though field kept next to them he's an angel and we did try him with a 3yr old gelding but their play fighting got out of control and they were constantly coming in with chunks missing and he then thought it was expectable to try playing with me in the same manner and became a bit bolshy so he's back to being alone until we find an older more sensible gelding to trial him with as would like him to have a buddy and try break his obsession with me being his only play friend. on top of his ground training I do play with him the paddock for fun, he has treats in a treat ball or bucket only I never have treats in my pocket or feed by hand as these were allways make nipping worse
 
I think you've answered your own question (and are obviously taking steps to address) to some extent re: the playmate.

If you play with him in one context (at your instigation, in the field) it will take him a little longer to learn not to be affectionate with you at other times (at his instigation with his mouth!). Plus, without another horse for company you're the only physical affection he will be getting so actually mutual mouthy grooming is a pretty normal desire - you're just not the normal creature for him to have around to do it with.

Was he actually hurting/upsetting the mares? I know geldings who will occasionally have a go with a willing mare - and mares who definitely encourage it. If that is the case here how about popping him out with them (ideally with a tough alpha mare to teach manners)? If not, agree about the gelding.

Good luck.

(NB: I know v little about stallions, but a little about mouthy types)
 
I found with my mouthy colts, if I held something in my hand like a stick or similar and let them mouth the end of it, then they were happy and I could get on with what I was doing without getting harrassed. They usually grew out of it as they matured and punishing usually just led to stress all round.
 
Hawks27 said:
My horse is a little darling most of the time is quite laid back easy to groom rug / tack up school on ground (not backed yet) etc and all though 7 he has reverted back to babyish ness lately he is obsessed with chewing my coat / pony tail/ lead rope etc I can't stand anywhere near his head with out being constantly harassed pushing his face away or giving him a tap on the shoulder if I feel teeth has stopped working normally a short sharp oi or a clap of the hands makes him stop but he's becoming a stubborn obstinate pig about it now and barely flinches before going straight back to his chewing of me, even sending him back out of the way doesn't last 2secs.
He's quite light on commands normally a simple waft on the hand normally has him move over back or weather I need him but I just don't know how to get him out of this pesky nibbling as don't want to be smacking him and getting nasty. but it can't continue as it will only lead to biting and quite frankly getting tiresome having to constantly push his head away when am doing anything with him in the stable
Any clever hints and tips that don't involve screaming and pony spanking greatly appreciated and there's homemade apple and blackberry crumble on offer for all :-)
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Hi I'm Dizzie the owner that bites back (LOL) Seriously when my 8 yr old ex race horse does this he is like a teething baby and although he doesn't mean to actually catch flesh he occasionally does and it bl**dy well hurts so I straight away nip him back on the nose which causes him some discomfort and makes him think twice about doing it again. I don't really sink my teeth in but just enough to make him twitch in the same way as another horse might. He also likes to groom me as I am grooming him so I groom a bit harder and he stops. When he grabs my sleeve or jacket I gently but firmly squidge his nose or tweak his ear. I know this sounds horrid but I find it works better than clapping, smacking or shouting in his case. I love him very much and he only does this I think because he didn't enjoy much of a "foalhood" I also believe that he gets the urge to have something in his mouth and its just got to be me but then he gets carried away.
 
I will give him his dues given he has no horsey social skills bless him he was most gentlemanly out with the mares but sadly alpha mare and second in command are both super tarts and when offered to lovely round willing bottoms my lad couldn't resist but to oblige the ladies and as my yard owner was not happy with this at all she banished him from the shared field back to his private paddock so I do feel sorry for him as he was so gentle and backed off as soon as some one stood up to him so he definitely needs some older male companions but sadly we have all lady horses on the yard at the moment and I can't afford to keep 2 horses.
 
Ah, shame. Assume YO concerned about the mares' owners, didn't realise they weren't yours. Depending on how good (otherwise) the yard is I might well be looking for an alternative with company...
 
Sorry to butt in but I've had three foals in succession from the same mare and by the same stallion who have all chewed manes and tails. Others in the same age group have been well behaved.

The latest little monster, a filly born early June, has now taught her colt companion (same father, different mother) who is a month younger to mane and tail chew. Between them, they have entirely demolished the mane of the colt's mother, most of the mane of the filly's mother, and the stallion looks like an old fashioned cart horse with a docked tail! All these, btw, are Highlands which once had beautiful full flowing manes and tails!

I am not planning to show any of these adults again so it is not the end of the world, just very very annoying! (And, yes, I have tried Cribox which works for a while. But it is a bit tedious to keep reapplying it when there are other things to do!).

So I am not sure a companion is necessarily the answer. You might just end up with double the number of chewers!
 
yes sadly this is why the 3yrold gelding didn't work they turned each other into bolshy pains in the arse am hoping an older more bossy horse who will show him the ropes and put him in his place might help, tough wood he hasn't destroyed anything but am sure if I ever left my coat a rug a brush in his stable it would come out looking a little worse for wear. as soon as I put anything down he picks it up except the flipping jolly ball I got for him to play with. I feel your pain re cheeky foals as we had this with beautiful show jumping mare and her naughty foal eric ate her tail clean down to the dock! never grew back fully and always looked ragedy and crap such a shame, that same foal proved he was a super jumper by the time he was a yearling and managed to clear 5ft escaping the paddock! little demon.
Their aren't many good yards in my area and this one is very close to home and has excellent grazing plus only 2 liveries including myself so nice and peaceful just yard owner can be a bit funny. id still like him to have a friend though don't like him being on his own and now hes cut I think he should enjoy life with friends to gallop around with as he loves to run and well I can't quite run fast enough for him lol even though he loves a good game of peek a boo chase round the tree in his paddock
 
Company didn't make any difference with mine, he went out with my other horse for 10 years, and they never groomed each other, he just wanted to groom me!

He's on his own now, and isn't any different (although mine was hand reared, then left as a stallion, so never socialised with other horses, he was gelded at 6).
 
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