why do some horses nip when you do rugs up

[Sags_Deer]

is there any reason why horses do this. does anyone know. ??!!

 

[AmyMay]

Bad manners!

 

[ColleenIsh]

Could probably be if hairs are going in the opposite direction and it is causing a lil discomfort , make sure if your putting the rug on to lay it up near the withers and pull it back instead of the opposite way .


What is your horse doing exactly ?

 

[HBII]

Well I would guess if you slung the rug on then wriggled it about pulled here and there it is a reasonable reaction even if it might be classed as bad manners. Not saying you do this though!. I always fold my rug in half then put it on leaving lots of room at the front, then unfold it adjusting it then do the surcingles. That way I know there should be no reason to nip!

Hb

 

[Sags_Deer]

just tries to nip when you do the front up, tie him up now. its nothing that scares me but my mum does him as well and i dont want her nipped. he has always been funny about rugs think something must have happened in previous home. cant leave any rug in his stable hanging up he would shred it. and he wears an old nz on top of his night rug at night.

 

[Murphs_Mum]

I would echo bad manners and being allowed to get away with it! Also be aware of how the rug fits and put on nicely ie don't throw it at the horse (which i have seen many people do!)

 

[ColleenIsh]

just be careful to make sure it fits him properly and that it is laying with the growth of the hair and not against it .


If all is well then maybe a sharp " STAND UP " before he goes to nip may well do the trick . timing needs to be right . Could well be that he has had some bad memories with rugs so its possible that its just a continued reaction and if all is well then you need to break that habit and teach him that nothing is hurting him and he needs to stop the nipping

 

[marion95]

My new horse does this - and tries to 'kill' his rugs if you leave them over the wall. When he came to us he had quite bad rug rubs and I think he associates them with discomfort. He mostly does it when you are putting his turn out rug on in the morning. I tried tying him up, which worked but he still made horrible faces at me, so now I just give him a handful of food in his over the door bucket and he forgets he is having his rug on at all. Hopefully this will help erase his bad memories and he will forget all about 'hating' his rugs.

And yes I have tried telling him off/smacking him on the neck, but he is a bit head shy and has obviously been hit before and I don't think that was helping.

 

[rcm_73]

I find raising my hand and giving a firm tone at the same time works. Had my gelding three weeks, has a bald patch where a rug has rubbed him and has gone to nip me once when doing the front straps up. He's getting better, just keeps bringing his head in and getting in the way so I'm continuing using my voice and raise my hand if he comes in too much.

 

[Chex]

Chex does this with one of his rugs, so I know its only because the rug is uncomfortable, is too tight over his withers and pulls at the front (he doesn't wear it anymore). He would never actually nip, just puts his ears back and throws his head. I don't really see why the horse would bother to nip if it wasn't in pain, unless its just displaying dominance (or do I jst have a super lazy horse lol)

 

[ElleJS]

My top mare does it. She has all the manners in the world, Its just her quirk

 

[Ferdinase514]

Finni doesn't just "nip" he savages, whilst rugs are being put on.

Managed to more or less teach him the wall is for savaging and not me.

He has manners to burn but is very sensetive.

 

[RachelB]

Mine only does it with her not so well fitting rugs. She has a funny chest (sort of sticks out in the middle) and gets rubbed here easily. Most of her rugs fit her well by trial and error but one or two I can not find anything else so have to use them and she does try to nip at me when I put them on. TBH I feel sorry for her and don't tell her off or anything (she knows she will get VERY told off if she starts getting bad manners around me so she is usually very well behaved).

 

[ElleJS]

I think people can mistake bad manners for a very sensitive horse. Mare does the same when doing up her girth, she doesn't like the pulling sensation. Fair enough, she never bites me just nips the air and puts her ears back. I cant see it as a problem, I see tons of eventers and showjumpers that do it.

 

[wizzi901]

just a nip, you lucky girl! - my old git pulls my shoulders in with his head and nutcrackers me for fun! Non Stop!

 

[spooks]

our welsh will sometimes try and grab your hand when your doing the front straps up but thats because she is downright cheeky and she does it in a cheeky way to,i dont think she is actually trying to nip you. the other thing the daft mare does as well ( and this is her latest game ) is when you open her door she puts her head along your arm and waits for you to push her back, she will move back if you tell her to, but obviously finds this way much more fun..the horse doesnt nip but he does pull faces and does silly little bucks while you put his rugs on,he has more than enough manners and this is just his little quirk

 

[aimeerose]

mine 'air bites' while the fronts of her rugs are done - never tried to bite the person but nashes her teeth behind you!

she had fab maners and would NEVER bite but its just her way of expressing herself!

 

[Flicker]

Ticklish? The mare 'air bites' too when I'm doing her rug or brushing under her belly, but would never dream of making contact. In fact, if she gets me by mistake, it gives her a real fright - 'oh! I wasn't supposed to do that!'

 

[vickers22]

[ QUOTE ]
I think people can mistake bad manners for a very sensitive horse. Mare does the same when doing up her girth, she doesn't like the pulling sensation. Fair enough, she never bites me just nips the air and puts her ears back. I cant see it as a problem, I see tons of eventers and showjumpers that do it.

[/ QUOTE ]

completely agree. My boy is uba sensitive, and bites the air when the rug is done up, or even if he is being stroked on the chest. He is just very ticklish and is just saying ohhh please stop!He would never actually bite anyone, and at first i told him off, but its a bit like if someone came and tickled you if you hated to be tickled, and then they yelled at you when you asked them to stop!i dont think its bad manners at all.

 

[hunteress]

My boy just mouths me when I do his rugs up hes a babe and he wouldn't nip me I think he's just showing me he LOVES me.

 

[not_with_it]

My mare does it when I put her rugs on or do her girth up. She would never bite and does have manners. She tends to bite the wall but have recently had to stand her in the middle of the stable so she cant do this as she has worn a slight groove in her top teeth.