I think what comes up most on the blog is definitely along the ‘How to stop my horse from biting’ theme – so here we go again:
“I had a stallion that would bite and rear in dominance, but I figured a good way to protect myself and prevent him wanting to do it again,…I made a long stick with 2 wide wire brushes mounted on it and when I saw the ears go back, and him stretch his neck to bite I stuck the brush on infront of the part he was going for( usually an arm)and if he run into it oops.. he did it to himself! It should not cause them to fear you b/c they did it and I didn’t hurt them. Biting me hurt them. Do it as many times as it takes you will find it will be less and less time but you have to be consistant!Also friendly, after…It worked like a charm! And now they never bite.
Sharon”
How to stop my horse from biting
“I had a nipper and I grabbed his mouth with thumbs down each cheek and had my fingers firmly gripping the inside cheek while i played with the inside of his cheek. as he pulled away I kept a grip and kept playing with the inside of his cheek. it took just a couple of times and he knew any time he nipped i was going into this mouth to irritate him…he didn’t get the response he wanted and quit by the second or third time. it isn’t mean, doesn’t teach fear…just unpleasant response when they do something they shouldn’t and made him quit at his will,not mine. easy peasy.
Diana”
How to stop my horse from biting
“The first horse I owned was a yearling gelding I fell in love with. He was spunky and I never trained a horse in my life. I was up for the challenge. I read all the books that catered to a gentle and loving manner of training a horse. I was unable to ride him at such a young age so we had 18 months to get to know each other and build a bond. That had to be, hands down, the most rewarding experience of my life. We had such a bond that when he heard my car pull up or if I called his name he would come running to me. If I were out with him he would follow me like a puppy. I had people stop just to watch this and they would ask me how I did that. Well I did it over a long period of time. Slow and steady, with no reprimanding, just made sure I did it the same way every time so he knew what I expected from him. Anything new we did, I started with telling him, showing him slowly and repeat, repeat, repeat. Calm voice and loving rewards. I didn’t train my horse; I built a trusting relationship with him. One I will cherish for ever. I just got 2 rescue horses and I see the response from them. I was told quarter horse/draft was a handful. But he is responding very well to my ways. Good luck to all of you. Horse people are like none other.
Jeannie”
How to stop my horse from biting
“Two items you should have in your First Aid Kit. Traumeel and Arnica. My horse suffers from very serious cases of Laminitis and I put her on these two and each time she recovers . My other mare just went through a barb wire fence and her legs and hip were very cut up, along with large puncture wounds. I put her on Traumeel (for swelling) and Arinca (for Pain) right away. The vet has been out and was very surprised that she had no swelling in her legs and she was walking with very little discomfort. I have been using both for the past 6 years and would not use anything else. I love that they are natural and cannot hurt your horse. Another bonus, both horses love them and eat them right of my hand. Both can be bought at any Health Food Store. Note: Truameel has gone up in price as many massage therapists are advising people to use it. My horses are 1100 lbs and I give twice daily: 12 Arnica and 5 Truameel. Another great product for Laminitis and Swollen Joints is Omega Alpha Antiflam for Horses, it is all natural and can be used with Arnica and Traumeel. My horses let me know when they want the pills, if they are hurt or need them, they are standing waiting for them. Once they feel better, they sniff the pills and walk away, I stop giving them then. Please note: These should not be used to fight infection, always call a vet, but they are great for soreness, bumps, swelling, general old age and Laminitis.
Michelle”
How to stop my horse from biting
“Aromatherapist recommended and proved very effective: roughly equal quantities of catnip and citronella essential oils in a small amount of liquid soap or shampoo to emulsify and shaken in plenty of water to distribute over a big horsey body! Get large quantities (half litre/litre or more)of essential oil direct from a good supplier such as Kobashi (who are also fantastically helpful with advice) as getting 10ml bottles from your local health food store won’t go far and will work out very expensive…
Helen”
That’s all for this time folks – please do leave a comment below if you can add to the the ‘how to stop my horse from biting’ question – it’s a hot one on the blog.
Here’s some of them for you:
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Did I bite off more than I can chew? I rescued a horse that had been moments away from the slaughter house. They beat her badly. The problem I am having is she won’t let no one near her. I have had her 3 weeks and it kills me I can not touch her. Does anyone have any ideas how I can gain her trust?
Patience. Just be near her without trying to touch her and let her get curious and come to you. If you are non-threatening have faith that eventually she will come. I actually send a stream of love from my heart to the horse’s heart. You will see them respond. Don’t look her in the eyes and don’t stand square on to her. If she takes a step back as you approach, you take a step back as well. Also Join Up, but I would personally work on gaining her confidence first.
Go into her stall or ring or wherever you have her and just watch her. Don’t approach her or ask her to go to you. Do this for a couple of weeks. (for me it took 2 weeks) and eventually she’ll see you don’t want to harm her. Also try placing another horse around her and putting a lead rope so the other horse doesn’t approach her and stroke the other horse and you’ll see that she’ll look at you. Make eye contact with her and always have loving eyes. If she approaches you DO NOT try to touch her. If you really want to, then place your hand out slowly and let her smell your hand and see that you will only touch her if she’s comfortable. I hope this helps!
Cole, building trust is going to take a very long time – months, if not years … maybe you should just let her get used to you being around in the paddock, i.e. dont approach her directly, if you walk pass, talk gently to her – interact with your other horses – she will in time (her time) – get used to you and realize you dont mean any harm … I had the same situation with a mare – she’s been with us now for about a year, initially she ran away when I went into the paddock, now she follows me around like a puppy, eat out of my hand – I know she trusts me completely, but it has taken a very long time … good luck!
Hi Al,
I’m glad you’re back. I know life happens and it’s hard to do it all, but I did miss all the
wonderful information from this website.
We’ve acquired two mares from an auction regarding
a parcel of land my husband bought. I was elated, but “horse illiterate”. After a year and a half we’ve bonded and now the training begins. My 3 year old has lots of spunk and the 9 year old, which had been abused, is a real sweetheart. I’ve found a local trainer that is going to work with the horses and “me”. I can’t wait, but I’m still a little nervous. What is the best way to overcome this feeling? Thanks.
Pam
PS. Helen posted an Aromatic wash formula and I am wondering if it’s just theraputic or if would be good to keep flies away? Thanks again.
These are all amazing tips and in my oppinion if they work for certain horses this is fantastic, however what works for one may not work for another. I have a haflinger mare that I absolutely love. She was a nipper when I purchased her and I knew she would need some work to stop this behavior and that it might take some time to break her of it. First thing I did was quit with the hand fed treats that she was so use to getting. Second thing I did was bite her back. Not in the human sense of biting, but the horse sense of biting. I would simply take both hands and grab her instantly on the cheek or neck and pinch with all of my might. Took exactly three times of doing this and she stopped with her nipping and biting. She now waits patiently for a carrot, cookie or an apple slice which I hand feed her…she just needed to learn that biting would get her nowhere.
I also believe in time and patience. It takes a horse a good year to fully develope a trusting bond with a person. My mare would be laying out in the pasture and as soon as she noticed me approaching her she was on her feet…ready for flight. I worked so hard to build trust with her by going out into the pasture and just sitting quietly to watch her response and now can finally approach her in the pasture and sit next to her while she is resting. I knew that with alot of patience and time I could accomplish this and she has become my dream horse.
I throw a big bouncy ball at her, kick it between her legs and have accidently hit her in the face with it. She couldn’t care less. I’ve stood directly behind her and kicked it between her legs with no reaction from her.
I don’t ride her during the winter months as the weather is just too cold for me but come spring…she is always ready and willing to do whatever I wish. She is the same ride in the spring as she was in the fall. I do alot of things to desensitize her throughout the year such as walk into her stall and open umbrellas, blow bubbles from a bottle of kids bubbles, wrap ropes around her legs and over her back and saddle her up and just sit on her back. She has prooven to be a mild natured, un-affraid horse and even though she is not around children, when they come to visit, she is always the first to greet them and lowers her head for them to touch her face and rub her neck.
When it came feeding time she was very pushy and would try to plow us over to get to her feed. We handled this by placing her feed a few feet in front of her and using a crop we tapped her chest and backed her up. Didn’t take her long to get the idea that being pushy only meant she would have to wait longer to eat.
Horses are very intelligent animals and deserve a chance to be what we want them to be. Most times bad habits can be fixed and bad behavior can be overcome with repitition. What may take some horses twice to learn, may very well take other horses a little longer. We have to keep in mind the past history of the horse…what does it know, how quickly does it learn new things, what are the horses reactions to new things and most important…what works for the horse.
Yes….we will all make mistakes when training…we are human, but understand that a horse will forgive you of your eras and you must forgive them as well. The best learning tool is to simply watch a herd, sit back and take it all in. This teaches us their language and helps us to grow with them.
There is no greater experience than the bond and relationship between horse and rider 😉
For Cole: I was recently given a wild filly (about 8 months old) I found a site mustangs4us and they use a pole to gentle the horse. Amazing results. You can also use the pole to put on a mustang halter. Within hours I had her haltered adn was petting her.
For Jenny: When you head towards home and the horse wants to go faster turn and go the other way. After a few steps turn towards home again, as soon as her pace quickens turn away from home. This will take a lot of time on your part, but don’t give in. Have her mouth checked for sores as well that the bit may be agrevating. I had a mare that would throw her head, one day I put my hand up and she ended up hitting my engagement ring just right, that stopped much of her head tossing.
Jenny: Your horse sounds very much like mine. She is a 13yo OTTB She has been off the track for some time. I am her 4th owner since she came off the track, but she has had a lot of time off, so in some ways is like a young horse in her training level. I have only had her for a couple of months after years of not owning any horses. She rushes at the trot, in the arena and once when I rode her on the road. This is actually a bit scary for me lest she break into a galloping bolt. I have used the one rein stop, sending her into a circle when she tries to start rushing. To modify this behaviour during non riding days, I have been taking her for training walks, in a halter, doing the “Waallk” then “Whoa” voice commands while walking alongside. I also allow her to graze on grass with my permission while we are out walking, but not when it is her idea. My goal with this is for her to see me as the leader, like a benevolent dictator rather than a tyrant. She seems to be improving in obedience to the voice command and pressure on the rein/rope while being ridden. Last time I rode her in the round pen and also in one of the paddocks with a new dressage saddle and only her halter, with the long lead rope snapped on at the bottom ring and the end tied on on the same ring from the other side. She seemed more comfortable with this combination of tack than with any of the 3 snaffle bits and three saddles I have used on her so far. I do think bitless may be the way to go –maybe for you too– and will be looking into getting her mouth checked for dental problems and sores but also it could be that the saddles we are using might be a problem. Finding the right fitting saddle has got to be one of the most trying yet one of the most important things ever for your horse. Finally, with the mounting, I have been using another handler to keep her still while I mount off a mounting block. I know this is not the total soloution, we have a lot to work on and I am not there every day as I live about 15 miles away. My horse has to be on cool calories (fat and protien, low carbs ie very little or no grains) besides lots of hay as she is a hard keeper, and needs a lot of exercise before I mount her too…either longing or round pen or ideally she should be on pasture where she can gallop off her energy hopefully these ideas ought to give you some sense of solidarity hope they helped.
All I can recommend is to go out everyday, stand there & talk kindly to her. Also sit in the pen with her it takes a lot of patience, but when she gains your trust it will be well worth it. Hope this helps.. eventually she will come up to you! Ours did…
Cole you are going to have to take your time and gain her trust 3 weeks is nothing.. how sad ….spend time setting with her talking to her not touching her.Just pull up a chair and she will start to trust that you are not going to hurt her once she knows you are not a jerk she will approch you Then you can slowly start the process this takes hours and weeks Poor baby soo
sad….also invent a whistle or a call just for her every time you see her so she knows her best bud is there she can relax b/c she knows its YOU
good luck
hy , i did the same thing as u , rescued a colt he was petrified especially of hands , be very patient and spend as much time as u can just sitting quietly with her, dont force yourself on her she will slowly come to u. i will never forget the 1st time Red came and sniffed my hand, a major break thru, now he has complete trust in me , trust which i have earned thru gentleness and kindness.
Hi Jenny, I had exactly the same problem with my horse, am a week-end rider and a trainer who is not much available, so I had to deal with it mostly mylself. There are several methods that I used: one is that when he starts rushing on the way home, I make him go in circles, moving, not lettig him slow down, just moved in circles until he calms down (he did not always calmed down, see below), then we started walking back towards home, he would start rushing again rides like that, he started getting upset at me on the circles and trying to avoid them by rearing). On rearing, I slap his ears with my whip when he is up, and make him go back to the circles immediately. He did not always calmed down right away. If he did not calmed down, as soon as we got home, make him work in the ring, for quite a while (so that he did not associate going home with immediate pleasure/food/comfort/finding his buddies, etc.), and after a few times, he got the message, he started not rushing home so much on the way back from trails. He still does it once in a while, I repeat the circles, or serpentines (that seems to work better with him, specially on a hill). You can also use the one-rein stop: you pull one rein over to your thigh, the other is loose enough so he can turn his head, and you keep your legs on, keeping the one rein you your thight, your horse will have to stop at some point because they cannot move that way (this is also close to a ” half tap” (see below). On one ride he was really bad, bucking and rearing when I tried to slow him down on the way home, so I got off his back, took the saddle off and did a ” full tap ” — which entails pulling the horses head to one side and keeping it there until the horse goes down, once he is down, keep him there, and be gentil and kind to him when he is down. Keep him there about 5 to 10 mn. Then go back on the horses back and walk home, if he/she continues rushing, slow him/her down with serpentines. The next time your ride your horse, she will be more trusting of you and will listen to you more. Don’t try the half tap or full tap by your self, go online and buy Endo Spink (he invented the taps)DVDs, and practive with someone first. That is garanteed to transform your horse because they will realize that even in their most vulnerable state (lying down, unable to get up), you did not hurt them. It takes some times to get a horse not to rush home, so don’t look patience. And by the way, your bits may be too harsh, go for a nicer bit, and practice one rein riding (use one rein at a time, with the other rein loose. Good luck and don’t give up.
thank you Michelle on the Traumeel and Arnica. Are these the same as the hometopathic pellets that one can find at health food stores for humans?
Every time you go near her, give her a horse treat. Start with a rope and halter doing this and she will start coming to you.
🙁 Animals don’t have a very long memory and it’s going to take time and a lot of love and patients and she will sense it and she will come around, maybe 6 months maybe a year, I wish I could take her, I would be more than happy too!
animals, especially horses, have very long memories !
Lara, I Hand walk all of my young horses down steep hills. They have not developed enough muscle and soft tissue to do steep down hills. She is a baby with three more years to grow. I would also guess that she is trotting to get her balance. It is hard to walk down hill with a weight on your back. (try it your self) Once she can learn to walk down hills with out a rider, her head low, with her back up and her hind end under her, then I would start rding her down slight hills. Take your time, there is no rush, and you will have a trail partner for 25 or more years.
I have a rescue, he was treated horribly, tied up and hit with golf balls etc.. when i got him he was scared, it did take a lot of patience and time,i spent every possible minute withhim with treats and finding his sweet spot, thats where they love to be touched for sonny it was on each side of his jaw line so i rubbed and talked , and then i asked for a kissy and each time he did it he got a treat, then eventually a kissy without a treat– thenhalter no halter halter no halter then lead rope finally walking out side of the pasture with me, then blanket then no blanket then saddle then reins then RIDE and ride we do and we love it and have a unique bond, so myadvice is patience time, love gentle touches words healing it all is worth it
Jenny, I also had the same problem with the same horse with mounting him. It is all a question of trust. Be very patient. Get a step stool. Have someone to help you if possible (I had no one so I had to use a dressage whip). My horse would either move sideways or backup when I tried to get on his back (I think he had a big cowboy ride him for a while and that hurt his back). So at first, just stand there on the step stool with the horse next to it as if you were mounting her, and someone on the other side by the head with a long whip used gently to make sure she does not move forward, sideways or backward. Do not mount her, just stand on the step stool, pet her, and tell her she is a good girl she is. End the ride there. Do it again for a couple of days. Then, try the same thing with putting your foot in the stirrup, making sure you don’t poke her side with it, some horses don’t like that. Just stand there with your foot in the stirrup (with your friend helping the same way),and tell her what a good girl she is. End there, repeat for a couple of days. Then, next time get on the horse’s back lending VERY gently on her back, and if she did not move tell her GOOD GIRL(or if she moved a lot less just pet her on the neck but don’t say good girl). Repeat, and every time there is a step back, go back to the previous step and repeat. Eventually, they get it that you are not hurting their back or sending them at a gallop right away as you get on them. It takes a little time. It took a few months for my horse to stop moving as I got on him. And it took a couple of years for him to stop rushing home. He still occasionally does it, but calms down quickly when I ask (he knows I will make him work hard when we get home if he does not slow down) because I did it systematically. Lots of patience, never get mad.
Hi….I have a mare that was given to me last summer. She is real sweet and lets me do whatever I want to her. The problem I’m having is that when I go into the pasture with her she is right on me……close. She will get close in front of me as to block me from leaving. When I try to push her away she starts bucking and kicking. What can I do?
Mary
Cole Do not give up! The following is a system used for unhandled mustangs. I suggest that as WATER is a basic need, you do not let her have unlimited access to water. Take water to her in buckets. Let her drink as much as she wants – 4/5/6 times a day – but ONLY from your bucket. Put the bucket down near you. When she comes to drink, speak kindly to her but do NOT try to touch her at first, as this will push her over her “fear threshold”. When this watering system is well established, she might become
curious and let you touch her – or at least drink while you stand beside the bucket. Then you can leave the bucket just outside the paddock until she comes to you to be fussed briefly, and then give her the water. However – do NOT allow her to become dehydrated – just make sure that any water she gets is from your bucket..
Daniele, Trotting/jigging home is no fun. My best resolution was to disengage the rear-end every time he went faster than I wanted. Remember to ride with people who will stop and allow you to school your horse. After about a dozen times of disengageing your horse’s rear(remember to have no agenda, emotion or timeline)in a very controlled and calm manner, he will get the message. It’s also great practice in the event you may need the emergency one rein stop. Also, it will help if you first bring his head calmly to your knee, then turn your head and look/stare at his rear, add alittle leg/kick to move his hip 180 and don’t give his head back until he submits and relaxes off your rein. That’s what worked for me. good luck
For Jenny with the 4 yr old mare wanting to trot home. Any time I have a horse that is in a hurry to get home I work them in the round pen for a good 15-20 minutes. If they think they’re going to have to work when they get home, they’ll slow down and not be in such a hurry after all. It will take a few times to get it instilled that they will have to work when they get there. After that, any time they get in a hurry again, work them again for a few times to re-instill this in them. Hope it helps!
Dear Jenny, when she starts to trot off on you going down the hill turn her around and make her trot back up, she will soon wear her self out and relise that walking down the hill is not that bad after all. Good luck
Jade
Hi – Rescue horses abound here – I’m glad to see that we are all trying to help by adopting. I found a purebred Quarter horse who has neurologic problems in his hindquarters and will never be ridable, but he seemed quiet and I thought at 7, Elf would be a good match. He is a total sweetheart. I do have to sneak up on him with the bridle to bring him out, but he loves brushing and head rubs and always comes when called. My problem: He has terrible feet, but he gets very upset if I try to pick up one – probably because he is so unstady on his back feet anyway. They get very long and really need to be trimmed, but they do break off – He lets me run my hands down his legs, but if I try to pick up his feet, he gets very upset and runs away. I have been told to buy some of the calming stuff to see if that helps and the shoer told me to call a vet and have him sedate him so the shoer could work on him. Any other ideas?
Hi Jenny, If your mare wants to trot when you want to walk, do a one rein stop. To do this you pull just one rein and you must let the other slide through your fingers so it stays fairly loose. You pull her nose around toward your leg. At the beginning she will walk or jog in circles, but when she eventually stops you can give her a pat, release the rein and ask her walk on. The first time I tried it with my boy I had to do it every couple of metres, which was nearly 200 times as we walked back home, but he soon learnt. By the next day he went about 10 m on a loose rein before breaking into a trot and now I only have to do it once or twice on a ride.
I know it is time consuming on the first day or two but believe me it is worth it, I can ride home on a loose rein and he stays walking even if another horse trots on ahead of us.
It works for two reasons, bending their neck around actually causes them to relax but pulling on two reins usually makes them more anxious and frustrated and they try other ways (rearing, head tossing etc) to get their way. Also if you persist and do it EVERY time they jog or trot they learn that there is no point to troting off. Good luck, be persistent and happy riding. Robyn
hi Jenny, I have a tip for the standing still part, bought a horse that would fidget about being saddled and not stand while I mounted, my friend who has trained horse all her life taught me a nice little trick, the magical carrot. just after I did up the girth I’d make him stand when he was still he got a carrot. Now he bends his head around while I girth waiting without moving at all, did the same for mounting, as soon as I mounted I’d make him stand still once he was still I’d lean forward and give him a carrot. Now he waits patiently while I mount when I have mounted and settled into my saddle I pack his neck he turns his head and takes his carrot, no moving around at all. Be repetative and eventually you will have a very calm horse that stands patiently while you seat yourself because he knows once your bottoms in the seat he gets a carrot. Worked after about the 3rd ride for me, couldn’t believe something so simple could have such a quick effect. And for all those that think foow rewards aren’t a good idea, I say what ever works and gets you the result you want. He his a great boy for me now and always does as he is told. Goodluck Jen!
As for the biting tip i have, a quick little pinch of the lip worked for me with my youngsters, took about 2-3 times, haven’t bit in at least 12 months, they r 18 months old now.
Thank you all for the tips om biting.
I have a 9 year old Palomino gelding, Jace, very calm and gentle and the love of my life.
Last December we were givena buddy for him, Pippo, a miniature horse. Pippo is now only 11 months old and has started rubbing his chest against boards to scratch – but he has worn all the fur off his little front (I put Fiske’s on it) and is rubbing his tail against things as if he has worms.
How can I get him to stop? I wrapped his favourite scratching posts with sheets so they are padded and taped them on with duct tape. I moved the birdfeeder he likes to scratch on too (but not too far, Jace likes a drink out of it now and then).
Could it be nerves? If so, any suggestions would be met with my deepest gratitude.
Maybe he is trying to shed his coat but he sort obsessively scratches himself. Is this “studdy” behaviour???
Not much has changed with his relationship with Jace except now jace started stealing food from Pippo’s dish, which we seem to have solved by putting the little guy’s feed bucket in a place Jace cannot get his head into and that is working very well, Pippo is not such a nervous eater now.
Please help,
Worried Horse Mama
I have been watching a guy named Rick Gore on horsemanship. Most of what he says is true. Although to warn you he does crack on women in general but if you look at it it is true with women compared to men. Don’t be offended by what he says or how he says it. It’s great advice that I have taken into consideration when I go to ride now. It has changed the way I look at things and how I handled things before I saw his videos. I have done what he says and it actually does work. Don’t be fooled by his brashness on them. He is only telling it like it is. If you don’t like it then don’t watch it on youtube. 🙂
Hi, can anyone advise me please? My mare is quite good to handle and is responsive from October to March. In March, during her first season of the year, she becomes quite sharp – biting and kicking at every opportunity. She also becomes bad tempered particularly being led in from the field when she has her ears flat, pointing back, head swaying toward me but not quite going for me – almost threatening but she seems to know not to go that far. I had her on Regumate last year but the behaviour still did not change, despite the fact that an ultra sound showed her ovaries had completely shrivelled (due to the Regumate). I am not going to put her on that again as her behaviour did not improve. She will become good and sweeter from October – any advice please? I think it is behavioural but not sure. I think she feels ‘uncomfortable’ and it is her signal that she can get away with biting and kicking. Seems sad that she wants to after we have had such a good and peaceful winter. I have had her on Naf Oestress and now on Moody Mare – they do not seem to help either.