Why do horses bite? I mean REALLY bite

[Gingerwitch]

I agree with Arklepig. I understand if you get to close to a stabled horse it is at your own risk, and you shouldn’t approach an unknown horse.

But many yard set ups involve walking past to other stables / feed room / tack room etc within lunging reach of stabled horses.

A horse with a tendency to not tolerate people passing stable within lunging and biting distance should be signpost snd in a stable no one needs to pass in proximity.

My yard is set up so there is a block of stables, with a bit of an overhang, and a concrete walkway. The stabled horses could lunge over door snd reach lead horses or people walking on the path.

Difference in passing and standing stareing, we dont know the real facts here, she could have tried to stroke the horse which he reacted to as a strike, popped her head over the door whilst he was eating. Fact if she had not been just out and out nosey however it is being justified now the issue must likely would not have occured.

 

[ArklePig]

There's no doubt Ginger, I've acknowledged it was my fault., yard owner has put him some a bit less busy while he settles in. Not really seeing the problem. And I'm not sure how close you think I was. The horse had a long reach, I never would have thought it would have been able to get me from there. I was actually closer to my loan pony than him, as he's right opposite.

I was just wondering if that type of lunging bite was common, that was my question. Please don't create drama where there isn't any.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Defending itself and its territory, new horses should be left alone by anyone that doesn’t have a reason to go near. The staff handling should be told what the horse is like by the owner and other people should keep distance until he/she has been there a while

No one apart from yard staff or owner should be messing with anyone horses.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don’t think standing on a yard looking really classes as messing

 

[Gingerwitch]

I don’t think standing on a yard looking really classes as messing

None of us know exactly what went on, we have the OP's version, we cant ask the horse but he had his opinion and op was close enough to get bit on the chest.
I

 

[Sprat]

Stupid woman. She had no right to sue the owner

Why? If a dog was to bite a passer-by and the resulting injury required surgery, the same would happen. What makes this different?

 

[Tash88]

I've had to put a message on my (DIY) yard whatsapp group to ask people not to stand near my horse or interact with him (he gets enough attention from me) unless absolutely necessary or I've paid them to be there (he's brought in for me as he comes in before I finish work). I felt rude and OTT, but he is defensive of his space and while he doesn't bite much anymore, he can be bargy and has got a bit worse recently for whatever reason, it's under investigation. The thing is if he's given attention with strokes or chats or even worse, treats, that's rewarding the bargy behaviour and he finds it harder to settle and just eat his hay or rest when I'm not there.

I think people forget that a stable is the horse's personal space and they don't like it to be threatened. It's a real pet hate of mine when people do things with their horses like muck out/change rugs when they're eating as well, I just like to leave them alone.

I don't tend to go up to anyone's horse at the yard unless I need to... I might seem a bit unfriendly at times but I can talk to people when their horses are turned out, and it's not a petting zoo!

 

[ArklePig]

None of us know exactly what went on, we have the OP's version, we cant ask the horse but he had his opinion and op was close enough to get bit on the chest.
I

Yes you caught me. I walked right up to a horse I'd never met before screamed boo in its face and tugged his ears for good measure. I shall hand myself into to the authorities for imminently.

I've acknowledged that I was unintentionally intimidating the horse, I have stated multiple times in this thread that I hope he settles in well and I'll be wise to give a wider berth in future. I have told the yard owner I wasn't upset or annoyed just felt she should know so she can monitor how he settles in. I clearly have no ill will to this horse.

This was a simple question on the type of bite as I've never seen a horse do this kind of bite before.

I don't know why you're insisting on making this into something it's not- you have made up that I was 'messing with the horse' and that I've impacted the horse owners experience. Neither of those things are true, but if it makes you feel better then go ahead and paint me as some lunatic who tortured this poor horse to the point of biting. I frankly find your reaction to this thread bizarre.

 

[NinjaPony]

Quite alarming to think that some people might blame the OP. Sounds like it was totally out the blue, I would not expect a ‘normal’ horse to go for someone like that just for standing near them, and it’s very dangerous behaviour. Once you can probably put it down to bad luck/unsettled new horse, but I’d want to know the YO is going to put some precautions in place, particularly with children around. I’d also be concerned that there was no warning- horses usually communicate before they bite as hard as that one did. Mine has been known to try and bite, but he will give you plenty of warning, and it’s a nip not a hard bite, so it’s not that I’m totally unsympathetic, but i wouldn’t want to just brush off a potentially very dangerous incident.

 

[ArklePig]

I hold my hands up and say it was my fault in as much as we should all be more careful around animals especially unknown ones. But there deffo was no warning at all, thanks Ninja I thought I was going crazy there for a minute. ?

 

[smolmaus]

No one apart from yard staff or owner should be messing with anyone horses.

I think it's relevant that this is at a riding school remember. It's going to be busy, there's going to be kids back eventually. It's not blaming the horse to say that it isn't safe behavior and AP has very clearly NOT blamed the horse at any point. It's been reported, the horse has been moved so hopefully he can relax, people will know to give him his space in the future. It's worked out pretty perfectly with thankfully nobody hurt. Where is the benefit in inventing scenarios that might have happened in your imagination?

I frankly find your reaction to this thread bizarre.

Do you not also wake up in the morning and find people on the internet to call liars for no reason???

 

[ihatework]

Actually I dont think it is ‘normal’ for a horse to lunge and aggressively bite someone.

It’s a vice. It’s a vice that could seriously hurt someone, even if there are understandable and explainable reasons that have led to the development of that vice.

If the horse is on a riding school they do need to be extra careful.

Ive dealt with proper biters in my time, they are generally insecure and anxious horses with bad history with humans. The last one was a friends broodmare, she did it very infrequently but was handled proficiently 100% of the time and people weren’t allowed to stand within grabbing distance of her!

 

[Pippity]

My mare used to bite when she was younger. Combination of being hand reared and extremely food aggressive. She once launched herself at me just as I picked up a dropped whip and i retaliated instinctively with a whallop across her neck. She was shocked (so was I!) but I think that was the first time she'd actually had proper consequences. I'm not actually sure when she stopped but she doesn't do it now.

I had a cob mare on loan a good few years ago. I was walking her in from the field one day when, out of nowhere, she bit my upper arm hard enough that you could still see the details of her teeth in the bruising a month later. It's not something I'd have done deliberately, but I automatically elbowed her hard on the muzzle. She never bit anyone again while I had her. (She did once throw the dentist over the stable door, but I put that down to being a cob mare.)

 

[Equine_Dream]

Only once one of mine has bitten and I honestly think it was a case of "wrong time wrong place". Our stables are a barn style set up with 4 boxes, 2 sets facing each other with an walkway inbetween.
I was walking through and my big gelding can be stroppy with his neighbour opposite him, especially when his "mum" is around. He lunged at his neighbour and caught me on the top of the arm. It was a proper bite and my god hurt like hell.

 

[scruffyponies]

I have only ever been bitten hard once by one of mine, and it's a good illustration of how sometimes they struggle to communicate with us.
He had a stone in his hoof. Rider dismounted and I picked the wrong foot, putting all his weight on the painful one. Whilst he took a good firm hold of my upper arm, and the bruise was there for a month, he let go as soon as I put the foot down. I maintain that it was a grab rather than a bite, and totally forgive him.

I do have a grumpy one who will nip if he feels like it, and one who routinely tries to nip when being brushed / tacked. The former is just stubborn and bad tempered. The latter is acting out a mutual grooming response... you can totally prevent it by tickling his lips whislt brushing him.

 

[AnShanDan]

I can honestly say, in a lifetime of being heavily involved with horses, I've only been bitten twice. Nipped many times but not really bitten.
With hindsight, both horses were in pain and most probably had ulcers.

 

[Fjord]

We used to have a horse on our yard who bit, you had to be really careful if using the tap by his stable as he could lunge for you with his teeth bared. He was generally grumpy and bargy though, so we avoided him if possible.

 

[Arzada]

It is possible that the horse hasn't previously reacted like this. For now, if this was my horse or I was the YO/YM I would tape off the area within the reach of the horse to prevent anyone unintentionally getting within striking range.

 

[planete]

I too think the horse should be given the benefit of the doubt before being labelled a biter. One bite does not make a biter but taking precautions until more is known about the horse is common sense. I have worked with two biters. One of them launched at me when I opened the stable door and all I could do to stop the attack was to throw the head collar I was holding at her, there was no time to get out of the way. The other one was a mare just out of racing and brought home by the owner for me to look after. I have still got a scar under my arm where I lifted it to shield my face as she came at me. Knowing what I know now I suspect she had ulcers not helped by an owner who thought nothing of giving a swift blow with a riding crop inside the stable as a correction. I also bought a standard shetland who turned out to hate children and raised a weal on my son's chest through his winter clothing by grabbing him. I cured that one by letting him hit my closed fist as he swung his head round to bite but I never let children near him again. A real biter is very dangerous, you can easily get a fractured skull if the horse is aiming at your head. I hope this horse settles and turns out to have just had an off-day.

 

[milliepops]

I can honestly say, in a lifetime of being heavily involved with horses, I've only been bitten twice. Nipped many times but not really bitten.
With hindsight, both horses were in pain and most probably had ulcers.

I've hardly ever been bitten either, though I have been around a few horses on yards that would threaten, mostly as you say have probably had medical issues going on

My ultra-ultra safe Welsh threatened to bite me when she had ulcers, it was the thing that made me think ok this is definitely a red flag rather than just her normal tricky behaviour. But even then it was obvious she didn't actually want to make contact, she's so bite-inhibited.

My foal has bitten me once, her flipping teeth were like razors. Just an uneducated baby mistake.

I was once bitten hard on the shoulder by a horse I was leading, completely out of the blue. I have no idea what triggered that, not my horse and he never did it again.

A YO got in the way of 2 of her horses when one lunged to bite another - wrong place at the wrong time, and needed plastic surgery as it really badly damaged her hand. they are incredibly powerful animals and I agree the OP shouldn't have expected to be bitten in the circumstances, sounds like the YO has taken it seriously, as it should be.

 

[PSD]

One on my yard is a biter, she’s nasty with it too but it’s only when she’s in the stable and she’s food aggressive. Not sure about her history but it wasn’t great by the looks of things. We just give her a wide birth and respect her space

 

[ArklePig]

It is possible that the horse hasn't previously reacted like this. For now, if this was my horse or I was the YO/YM I would tape off the area within the reach of the horse to prevent anyone unintentionally getting within striking range.

Yes he's been moved to a quieter area to settle in, hopefully he calms down okay and doesn't do it again. That's the thing, I felt awkward telling the yard owner like I was labelling him a biter, but at the end of the day she needed to know and has responded appropriately.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I don’t think it’s normal for a horse to behave so aggressively to someone simply standing looking outside it’s stable. Certainly some horses like their personal space especially in the stable (my old boy is like this) generally though you’d get plenty of indicators that the horse wasn’t happy such as pulling faces and ears back well before it felt necessary to lunge or bite. I’ve always been taught biting is about aggression and kicking more defence.

My old boy has given me a good bite once for no obvious reason except I was ducking under the door chain and he got me on the back of the arm. The only thing I can think of is that he doesn’t really like his chest / boobage touched and maybe he thought I was going for it as it’s at chest height and he was in the doorway. Luckily I had a thick jumper and coat on.

 

[Birker2020]

Just musing on this really. New horse on the yard today, beautiful looking thing. I was stood outside its stable admiring it, not touching it or in its space. Literally just standing at a good distance saying how pretty he was. In hindsight I should have left it alone. Anyway, it bit me, and I mean it really bit me, he kind of recoiled his head into his neck and sprung out at me with a proper forceful bite so it was almost like an attack rather than a leave me alone nip. He got me in the boob but luckily didn't break the skin as I was wearing a fleece, a baselayer and a padded sports bra lol.

Obviously I've made yard owner aware - not in a complaining way, just thought she should know. I've never seen anything like it and just wondering if this is normal in a horse who may be anxious on a new yard or if that's particularly bizarre behaviour?

We used to have one like that on our yard, nearly take your face off when you walked past and if it was tied up parallel to it's stable it would spin round and raise its back leg to you.
Personally I'd have given it a wallop if it had been my horse but I know there are many that would be appalled at me saying that. Sorry but there is no excuse for behaviour like that.

They are bigger than us, can hurt us more than we can ever hurt them and a quick wallop on the backside never hurt anything. Reasoning with a horse doesn't always work.
My horse wouldn't dream of behaving like that but it's only because they have been taught boundaries and what is and isn't acceptable.

I can bet that if I did a poll on here that was totally unanimous I would have quite a few agree with me.

 

[Carmen6]

The attitude of some people surrounding aggressive horses really surprises me.

If I had a horse that properly bit people, I'd take responsibility to find out why, make it a mission to solve the problem, and at the same time put in place all necessery measures to prevent anybody from being attacked. It's the least you can do! No excuses.

 

[Birker2020]

The attitude of some people surrounding aggressive horses really surprises me.

If I had a horse that properly bit people, I'd take responsibility to find out why, make it a mission to solve the problem, and at the same time put in place all necessery measures to prevent anybody from being attacked. It's the least you can do! No excuses.

But would you smack it? If it bit someone I mean?

 

[smolmaus]

But would you smack it? If it bit someone I mean?

Surely that depends on the result of finding out why it was biting in the first place.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Yes you caught me. I walked right up to a horse I'd never met before screamed boo in its face and tugged his ears for good measure. I shall hand myself into to the authorities for imminently.

I've acknowledged that I was unintentionally intimidating the horse, I have stated multiple times in this thread that I hope he settles in well and I'll be wise to give a wider berth in future. I have told the yard owner I wasn't upset or annoyed just felt she should know so she can monitor how he settles in. I clearly have no ill will to this horse.

This was a simple question on the type of bite as I've never seen a horse do this kind of bite before.

I don't know why you're insisting on making this into something it's not- you have made up that I was 'messing with the horse' and that I've impacted the horse owners experience. Neither of those things are true, but if it makes you feel better then go ahead and paint me as some lunatic who tortured this poor horse to the point of biting. I frankly find your reaction to this thread bizarre.

Get over yourself. Not all my posts are directed at you. !

 

[smolmaus]

Get over yourself. Not all my posts are directed at you. !

That post was specifically directed at her tho lmao she is the OP??? ???

 

[ArklePig]

Get over yourself. Not all my posts are directed at you. !

You literally said we have the OPs version but we don't know what actually happened. I'm the OP, you quite literally just called me a liar of course I was going to defend myself!