what type of scolding would you use for horse that nips when having

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cellie

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I have probably covered this before but cold weather has made difference to mares temperment with rugging.
Shes very gentle lovely to handle but hates her rugs being put on or changed.I keep a underrug on at the moment and although it has made huge difference (hates cold rug) she will try and nip.Shes nervous but not been ill treated as far as I know.
Im not one for treats but rewarding with carrot has helped but the so and so caught me out today and bit my arm.I dont like the idea of walloping her she knew she had done wrong and jumped back .I have ignored praised rewarded what next
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Shes not cold backed buts dislikes her saddle and girth being done up as well .Typical sensitive mare type so dont want to go ott as she is lovely inhand.
Thought about squirting with water other than that run out of ideas.
Thinking caps on please
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Monty Roberts says if you touch her front leg on her cannon bone with your foot (not kick her) as she goes to nip you it will distract her - if you do it every time she will 'forget' to nip you. I tried in on my horse that tries to nip everytime his saddle is put on and it actually worked!! Worth a try as it doesn't hurt the horse in any way and has saved me from a few bruises.
 
Tie her up to change rugs/saddle so she can't reach around. Distract head with hay rack while tied. Voice commands are good enough for a prey animal like a horse, make a buzzing sound and move your arms and legs a lot like a loon. Don't bother with reprimands, think in terms of consequences she will find uncomfortable.
hth's
 
brilliant !knew someone would come up with humane way of dealing with her thanks.Ill let you know if it works
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She is always tied up maybe Im just not doing it close enough.Not allowed hay outside our stables and our walls are cement breeze blocks which makes it impossible to drill and put up ties inside.The noise is no problem will probably be evicted from yard for losing my marbles but will creat interest with other liveries lol.
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hold a metal curry comb in your hand and when she goes to nip you calmly put it in her mouth, she wont like it! and should stop her hopefully. good luck x
 
I wouldn't change her rugs unless absolutely necessary, ie a significant change between day & night.

Mine come in in their turnouts & stay in them. If it's going to be a lot colder overnight I'll add an extra layer.

My old chap gets really crabby when I change rugs & is much happier just to come in & get on with his tea. He pulled horrid faces at me today for just going to do a surcingle up that had come undone. I growled at him & he stopped it.
 
Hi,

I've got a mare who's worse than this! I actually got her as her teenage owner couldn't deal with her in the stable and she had therefore been labelled agressive and nasty. She will go for you if you get in to "her" space so I find its easier to tie her up to tack up or change any rugs over. I find being firm but fair helps, and distraction is better than telling off. When I'm changing her rugs, and she pulls a face and looks like she's going to go for you I tend to move my hand up her neck and give her a scratch (which she actually quite likes). She's a bit stranger though as enjoys being groomed all over and quite likes the attention. I would never feed her by hand though, and would advise you to be careful doing this, hands and teeth must never be connected! If she does ever go for you (which she will do from time to time if your not careful), my mare certainly now knows she's done wrong, I will simply not have it! A loud word is now all thats needed, i've never actually hit her, but she has had the contents of the grooming kit thrown at her.
 
Most of the mares I have had make faces when I am doing their girths etc and my last loan horse was a horror to handle at first (she turned out fine).

If they go over the line I pinch them instead of smacking. It's closer to how another horse would discipline I think.

I read another good tip from Henryhorn recently which was to discipline and then make them move away from you - reasserting your authority was the key.

Might have to try the monty roberts trick also
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My mare does this - and it's partly because all her rugs are nylon lined so a bit cold when first put on ! (They have to be nylon lined as she's a bit of a funny shape and fine skinned, so I found that anything else rubbed which made her a bit sore and even more grumpy!)
I tend to tie her up quite short and have my elbow at the ready to just clock her under the chin if she turns to nip - it doesn't hurt her, just gives her a bit of a shock and physically blocks her from nipping. I also say 'oi' or growl at her if necessary, never shouting or making a big fuss.
She is very sensitive and although she loves a rub with a 'jelly' curry comb is not that keen on having her belly or flanks brushed. I tend to keep it all to a minimum at this time of year, she's grey so has to put up wit lots of grooming in the show season.
I firmly believe that while they should be respectful and behave themselves, there's little point in annoying a sensitive horse (especially a mare!) for the sake of it.
 
My current horse sounds really similar to both of yours ironhorse and cellie.

She's also grey... hmm!

Mine is sensitive around her tummy but I've had her fully vet checked and both the vet and equine chiro says she's just sensitive - she also gets crabby when I put boots on her.

She'll make faces and ocasionally threatens me but as soon as I shoo her she gets all dramatic as if I am going to beat her!! I never have hit her but she is occasionally head shy - and was with both her old owners.

So I found that a pinch and a growl works better than anything.

Mares!
 
I have rarely been nipped and respond with a yell and if I can a pointed elbow.

For my two that was enough to stop them.

A mare on our yard can be very nasty when rugs are being done. Her owner accepts this is just her, changes rugs as little as possible, and when doing rugs puts a grazing muzzle on her so she can't take a chunk out of her.

She is not a nasty mare, lovely temperament but really will take a bite and hold on when rugs are done.
 
Mine does this and in same position as you Cellie. What i've been doing is trying to ignore the faces etc unless he actually goes for me and then he gets a sharp tap and told to go back. I think at the moment its worse because like you, all the rugs are cold and heavy. what numpties eh
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ignore if you can but if she gets very close a nudge with your elbow into the side of her face (not hard!).
don't look at her or do anything verbally with it.

this works brilliantly with all of the nippers i have dealt with as you aren't making them more stressed or making a big deal out of the situation.

it does work best without any eye contact though- they are surprised that you seem to have eyes in the back of your head!
 
Has anyone actually thought that maybe the mare is trying to tell you something but has had to get extreme (nipping) because you have ignored her? Maybe she hates rugs and would rather grow a thick coat. They can actually be colder in rugs because they stop the horse from being able to self regulate their temperature.

Too late to start this winter but next year you could try leaving the rugs off from spring and as it gets colder feed her more hay. My last three mares have been perfectly happy with this regieme and not a bit cold.

In fact one of them - the most thoroughbredy of the lot lost weight when a well meaning livery yard (where she was on holiday) decided to rug her.
 
Mick tries to mouth at me when i do his chest buckles up, so i gently get a hold of his lower lip and dont let go. this seems to bug him and he gets the message.
 
My mare does exactly this - so nice to know that I am not alone!

I try to ignore her, but if she gets too close, or actually manages to get a hold of my clothes, I bite her back on the neck. Sounds mean, but it's only a small nip compared to what another horse would do ad she gets the message! Usually stops her for a couple of days...

I have found that smacking her or shouting at her does nothing, but communicating in her language does
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Hovis has been known to take a chunk out of hubby every now and again. Until hubby bit him back......
Seriously hubby just bit Hovis' ear after a particularly nasty nip and Hovis hasn't touched him since.
He's never really bitten me but if he gets a bit too vigourous with his "grooming" i pinch him on the chest with my fingers - he stops instantly.
Smacking Hovis does no more than give you a sore hand -he's just too big and muscled up for it do really do anything.
 
Thanks everyone!
I make her move over too,Im going to sharpen my elbows and tie her up tighter for starters and try the monty roberts trick.If she doesnt go for me she bites the window sill outside her stable.Next time I buy a new rug will look for fleece lined ones as she is better with stable rug than outdoor.At the moment she is keeping her duvet on this lulled me into false sense of security.MY gelding was never like this so must be mare related.Might also try sheepskin/fleece girth sleeve .I had noticed that if I put her saddle cloth on before saddle she is much better.Good to know Im not alone and some good tips
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I knew a girl in a riding school who had a novel solution - if a horse nipped her she would have a complete tantrum and stand there in front of the norse, never hittting, but screaming abuse at the top of her voice for a whole minute - she timed it.

It was quite something to see, and all the horses stood there watching it in stunned amazement - they never expected that reaction. But they never ever nipped her twice!!!

Not sure I could do that though.
 
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I knew a girl in a riding school who had a novel solution - if a horse nipped her she would have a complete tantrum and stand there in front of the norse, never hittting, but screaming abuse at the top of her voice for a whole minute - she timed it.

It was quite something to see, and all the horses stood there watching it in stunned amazement - they never expected that reaction. But they never ever nipped her twice!!!

Not sure I could do that though.

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I have done this on the one occasion that Murphy tried to nip me a couple of years ago...I didn't touch him but jumped around screeching and flapping my arms until he took a good step back out of my space. However, Murphy is pretty much spook proof and therefore wasn't going to flip out at my crazed mad woman moment, i wouldn't do this with a horse I didn't know and trust!
 
Ed does this, when rugging and when tacking up. Because I try never to smack him I just push his face away as he turns his head round and if he really tries I keep a dandy brush in my hand to direct at his nose
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he's getting better and better though and now its usually just swinging his head round.

Also worth taking note of is, are you doing the girth up sympathetically? I only tighten it up by one and then walk round take leathers down then go back and tighten again so its not a great big shock to him.
 
is there any where you can cross tie her with a leadrope going from each side so she can not swing her head around?
 
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