Pony nipping in-hand

[Walrus]

Just wondering how you would deal with a pony that was nipping in-hand.

Ponio is very very mouthy, likes to try and chew anything and put his nose in your face! I've been working him in-hand in the school and he tries to grab at my hand (the one at the top of the leadrope nearest his head). I've been saying no very strongly and when he's actually grabbed / nipped my hand i've tapped his chest (light smack) and said no. He also does it in trot. Problem is that when he does it he will then snatch his head away and hold it away (and scowl a bit!) - it's like he knows it's wrong and is pre-empting being told off. I'm just ignoring him at the moment and encouraging him to go forwards. How have any of you dealt with nippy babies (he's 4.5 but has done nothing)?

 

[Aoibhin]

ive just lost my temper

with new mare that is very mouthy, she is 9 & has been alowed to get away with it before.
ive told her NO!, tapped chest, slapped shoulder & tapped her nose as she always goes for your face.

but yesterday as i was shutting the gate she grabbed my cheek & really bit (not play biting) & has drawn blood, i will admit i lost it as i was in pain with branson hicks (ive only a month to go) and i bit her back on the cheek (she tastes foul!

).

today though she has been as nice as pie, so im hoping she has learned her place as i really dont want to have to repeat it all again.

 

[cellie]

Oh yuck will you come and bite mine she hates her rugs being put on.

 

[Walrus]

Goodness! Not sure I'll be taking that approach just yet (he's really furry!). I think I must just be fair, because he's new and he's my first horse I thin I'm being a bit wet because I want him to like me!! How sad!

 

[sbrownshowhorses]

I was judging a lead rein pony class , we had a pony exactly the same super smart but kept nipping the handler we advised her to hold her show cane in her left hand at the end with the length facing the horse by the side of his nose he then couldnt turn in to bite her worked really well in next class worth a try

 

[jaynedoc]

a little water sprayer in your hand might solve it.... a friend of mine would squirt water up their horses nose whenever it tried to bite her.... only did it a couple of times before the biting stopped...

 

[Dolcé]

[ QUOTE ]
ive just lost my temper

with new mare that is very mouthy, she is 9 & has been alowed to get away with it before.
ive told her NO!, tapped chest, slapped shoulder & tapped her nose as she always goes for your face.

but yesterday as i was shutting the gate she grabbed my cheek & really bit (not play biting) & has drawn blood, i will admit i lost it as i was in pain with branson hicks (ive only a month to go) and i bit her back on the cheek (she tastes foul!

).

today though she has been as nice as pie, so im hoping she has learned her place as i really dont want to have to repeat it all again.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm so glad I wasn't fit to bite Hattie on the bum when she bit me last week, it is still bloody agony to sit down, badly swollen and the bruising is colourful to say the least. Can you imagine the kick I would have got if I had tried (not that I could have reached) Please don't do it again though, when I read you only have a month to go I almost felt sick, not worth the risk!

 

[Puzzles]

I would have your horse's teeth checked to make sure that she isn't uncomfortable, especially considering that her mouth is still developing.
Most young horses nibble at some point, usually in play. They do not know any better and it is up to you to teacher her otherwise and nip it in the bud. You may find a massive difference by making sure she is turned out every day with other horses to play with - if you are the only being she sees then she will have to play with you! Smacking a horse for biting could make her hand or head-shy, or encourage her further by reciprocating with the biting 'game'. Make sure she always has plenty to eat and stimulation in the form of equine and human contact, turnout, plenty of forage, and daily training to give her something to focus on to minimise the liklehood of her feeling bored or frustrated enough to nibble at you.
I think that prevention beats cure by far in this scenario in particular. When she goes to nip you, gently bump her nose out of the way with your elbow (i.e. subtly just by exaggerating the swing of your arm as you lead her) and otherwise completely ignore her. Behaviour that is not reinforced usually starts to disappear as, over time and with concistency, your youngster learns that biting reaps no rewards.
It would be a good idea to make sure that, in general, you always praise her when she does well or tries hard: as with children, youngsters who don't get enough positive attention or stimulation will feel they have to resort to less desirable means in order to get it, and even negative attention is better than none at all.

Good luck!

 

[Walrus]

He's a he.

Yep, teeth were checked at his vetting and then rasped yesterday - no problems there.

He has daily turnout and plenty of hay. I've only had him 2 weeks and for the last week we've ben doing 10-15 minutes in-hand work in the school daily. I'd like to point out I'm not smacking his head at any point. I'm using my voice to say no and tapping his chest and carrying on forwards.

I think to be honest the fact is I haven't had him very long, he obviously has a slightly stubborn bolshy streak as well as being very mouthy. I'm hoping it will stop over time as I do more with him. Today we went for a walk in-hand in the field and he was very good, I think it was a bit different and he was too busy looking round to get distracted by my hand near his mouth! Fingers crossed as I lay down some boundries with him and we get used to each other he'll stop doing it.

 

[Vixxy]

When I was around 11 (after having a few ponies by that time, as I rode from 1 yrs) I was bought a 3 year old unbroken Arab that my sister and I backed and brought on when he was 4 yrs under supervision of professional showjumping rider (I worked on his yard as riders for his jumping ponies from 7yrs til I was 17 yrs). Said pony Jaeger (a complete sweetheart) one day completely out of the blue bit me on the arm, I was so hurt and shocked I bit him back! He never, ever tried even to pull a face after that.

In adulthood I bought a 12 year old Sec D that was well known as a terrible biter, oh gosh he bounced from dealer to dealer no end of times...Until he met me lol and met his match! It took two very quick bites back from me and he never tried again. I would rather put a biter straight into its place by biting back than spend months smacking shoulders or overreacting by going for the head (which is so easy to do at the exact moment of a bite that draws blood) or shouting like a loony and they stand there looking at you like ermmm hello?!?.

It did only cure his snapping at me though I might add, he took chunks out of both my sister and husband only on those two occasions although he always air snapped at people in his space. Just never with me, luckily I kept him at home and after about 4 years with me he stopped air snapping or threatening completely with anyone. I never know why he finally just stopped and became a normal even tempered horse.

I kept him because my then 5 year old son could easily safely ride him in the school off the lead rein and was a complete saint even at 15.1, my son preferred to ride him than his own Sec A .