Nippy 4 Year old

[Devondeb57]

I bought a 4 yr old Irish Draught last summer, he had the sweetest temperament and manners, i sadly came off him last August and wasn't able to ride so I put him out on loan last October, he came back to me in January and he's changed, he is constantly trying to nip me over the stable door and actually caught me yesterday and bruised my arm, he doesn't do it IN the stable just over the door which I can't understand. Any ideas about how to stop him please?

 

[paddy555]

I bought a 4 yr old Irish Draught last summer, he had the sweetest temperament and manners, i sadly came off him last August and wasn't able to ride so I put him out on loan last October, he came back to me in January and he's changed, he is constantly trying to nip me over the stable door and actually caught me yesterday and bruised my arm, he doesn't do it IN the stable just over the door which I can't understand. Any ideas about how to stop him please?

if I thought he was going to nip me over the door he would be flying backwards so quickly everytime I went near the door.

Go into the stable and use whatever force you need for him to back out of your space.. Teach him the word "back". Move onto doing the same when you are just by the stable door. ie you approach tell him "back" and that is what he does. Then move onto doing it further away so that when you are in range you tell him "back" and he behaves accordingly.
Each time you open the stable door you expect him of his own accord and without any instruction to move a step (or preferably more) back. Your space, he doesn't invade it

Make sure you do it everytime, he isn't allowed relapses because you haven't got the time (or inclination)
He will soon get the message as to how he should behave again.

Obviously no treats which could be how it all started. Once he has learnt his manners again and is polite he can have cuddles over the stable door