I have a horse who likes to bite and lines up to kick you...?

Question

I think it may be b/c he is 1 and 6 monthes old and still a stallion does that have anything to do with it and how can we correct the kicking

Answer 1

you need to see if both testes have dropped. my now 1 1/2 year gelding started becoming aggressive towards males at about 13 months, so we waited until he was ready and had him gelded. he does need discipline anyways...but have a vet checkup and make sure he is ready, and have him gelded! unless you know how to work with studs, you do not want one.

Answer 2

If you do not plan on breeding, please geld him. If you do plan on breeding, PLEASE be responsible about it. We have way too many unwanted horses in this country due to poor breeding practices. Also, he will be a much better riding horse as a gelding and he can enjoy life turned out with other horses instead of being forced to live alone, like most stallions are. The aggressive behavior could be due to the fact that he is a young stud, although I have known many stallions with wonderful manners. You should work with a trainer that has stallion handling experience to correct the kicking and biting if gelding him is not an option. Good luck!

Answer 3

Stallions do tend to be more aggressive than geldings or mares, but if handled correctly, this really shouldn't matter. I think it is best that only very experienced horse people keep stallions, as they sometimes need an extra firm hand. You can give him a good swat on the nose if he puts his mouth on you (even if it's just to lick your hand as licking frequently leads to biting) or if he actually does bite you. Being able to read and understand horse body language is extremely helpful. If you see you horse swing his rear end towards you, I would give him a good swat (or two) so that he learns he is not to swing any part of him at you. He may try to kick if you smack him, so watch out, but you can't allow him to swing his rear end at you and kick. Some horses tend to be really thick skinned, so make sure he is actually aware that he is being disciplined. Also, if you do need to whack him one, make sure you are as close to his hind end as you can be without being stepped on. Horses have a surprising range of motion when they want to, so if you are far enough away to hit him and he kicks, it's going to hurt a heck of a lot more than if you are standing right up against him. Rule number one, don’t be afraid of him or of bossing him around, because if you are, when he's full grown he will be extremely difficult to handle especially if he's still a stallion because he will try to dominate everything and everyone because it's instinct. Good luck!

Answer 4

I can tell you as a trainer that this behavior is not ok and needs to be corrected immediatly stallion or not. I would reccomend Clinton Anderson's video's. I think he has one that just deals with ground work and respect. John Lynons has the 3 second rule. If I horse tries to bite or kick you go crazy at them, scream jump up and down and make them think they are going to die. Then stop after 3 seconds and go back to doing what you were. A horse does this because he thinks he is the head of the heard. you see it when you introduce a new horse to a herd. You need to do lots of roundpenning and ground work and establish that you are the lead horse. Do it sooner then later, it only gets harder to correct as they get older.

Answer 5

First of all, geld him as soon as you're able. That is definitely the cause of the behavior - typical colt stuff.
When you handle him, be ready when he bites. People say don't hit a horse or he'll get headshy, but I disagree. When he reaches to nip, pop him directly in the mouth - as soon as you realize his intentions. Then yank onthe lead and say loudly, NO! Be sure to pet him around the head a few minutes later so he doesn;t think you are going to pop him every time. He'll soon learn that biting is a no-no.
As for the lining up to kick, have a stock whip or lunge whip ready. As soon as he aims that butt at you - never mind the hooves - pop him on the hocks, heels or butt.
What he is doing is trying to exert dominance over you. That's a stallion for you.
I don't mean beat the tarnation out of him, just a quick reflexive pop in the lips AS SOON AS you know he's fixing to bite. Same goes for the kicking - have that whip ready. And gelding him won't completely solve the issue - you have to show him you're top dog, but it will eliminate the testosterone poisoning.

Answer 6

Horses that are afraid of you will turn there hind quarters to you. That is there defense, kicking. I bet you have to corner this horse to catch it and when you corner him is when he does this. I have raised alot of young studs, they usually don't get this type of behavior until after they have bred some.
This horse has probably had some abusive handlers or not been handled at all. I do not agree with some of these answers about whipping them really hard because they have a thick hide. Think about this........when a small fly lands on them even before they get bit by one, they feel that fly on them and start shaking that part of there body to get it off. That is how sensitive they are.
First you need to let him know you are not his enemy. People have the eyes of a predator to a horse. Horses are in nature prey animals. You need to start out slow with him. I would recommend gelding him if both testicals have dropped.
you need to lunge him, use a lunge whip. Just the sound of the whip snapping is enough. I have never had to whip any of my horses. If you have a round pen this is better.
His problem is he has no respect for you. Every day handling and lunging him to teach him respect will cure this. Go to this web-site..... montyroberts.com and read about his join up system. That will solve all your problems. When he learns to respect you he will not kick you. Don't ever approach your horse from behind like some others have said. Horses have a kicking range of 6 feet. Good luck................HC

Answer 7

For the kicking- kick him back. You need to be more assertive with your horses. I read both of your posts and it seems to be an issue. Think about it from a herd standpoint- what does another horse do if a subordinant kicks the leader? The leader kicks back (hit what leg he kicked you from). Once he gets it into his head that he will be punished for kicking and that it hurts- he will quit immediately. Same with biting. If he bites you, hit him on the nose. He won't bite often after that.
Here is an example. My cousin's horse, Cody, has taken chunks of of my cousin and her mom- to the point where they needed stitches. He tried to bite me once- I hit him on the nose, and he knew right away not to bite me again (or my uncle, or any serious horsepeople). If an animal can get ahead of you on the dominance chain they will.
Now some people may think it is cruel- but I am acting as a dominant herd member. It is abuse if you keep hitting them afterwards when they don't know why. One good hit for each bite or kick, and you are set- just like a herdmember would do.
You can not let a 1200 lb animal know it is stronger than you. Being said, with doing this, our horses completely trust us and will follow us everywhere- I left the door open in our house and had a draft horse in the kitchen!

Answer 8

my first question is how long have you had him? if youve had him since birth it shouldve been fixed then...if youve only had him for a bit then you have your work cut out for you.
i do agree if he is not registered or a good quality breeding stallion, you should geld him right away. you will solve alot of your problems right away by gelding.
although, disrespect issues run in geldings, mares, stallions, so these issuse need to be addressed immediately.
i have 2 stallions. stallions tend to be mouthy, mine are not with me, but i dont let just anyone handle them either. a mare i had was even more mouthy than them but that was only with people she didnt know or should i say the people didnt know.
i have been lucky to the fact that when my youngest stud was little and he kicked out at me he wasnt big enough to hurt me. so i kicked him back...not super hard...he turned and looked at me with disbelief and i haltered him and we did a lesson. he has never even attempted that since and hes 6 now.
if you are going to keep him a stallion, you have to keep up with your handling. you have to work with him consistantly and not give him any slack for what you are asking of him. stallions are very social animals, the more you work with him the better he will be. do not allow for any disrespect though, youll be asking for trouble later.

Answer 9

I'm probably going to piss a lot of people off, but that horse is being aggressive and should NOT be treated like a pet. Horses are NOT pets they are livestock, yes we are attatched to them, but they are 1000 lbs of animal, and if YOU don't control them they will control you.

I don't agree with abusing an animal but it looks like he may need his butt whipped, and yes there are times just like kids that you need to be very firm with horses. If you intend on keeping him a stallion get used to the idea. I ride a stallion and he is one of the most well mannered horses you will ever see, but if he even tries to act like a stud he gets reprimanded quickly and severly.

There is a three second difference in between beating a horse and correcting a horse I suggest you learn it if you plan on owning a stallion, or plan on taking out good health and liability insurance. Your response has to be when he displays the behavior not a later, as he will not know what he is being reprimanded for. Horses need to learn NO just like kids do. When I say this I am talking about aggressive horses only, not horses that are reacting out of fear. If you can't tell the difference hire a trainer, that is what they are for. I am not trying to be mean or hurt anyone's feelings but there are entirely too many spoiled horses and owners who truly don't know any better.

Answer 10

Hi there. Bottom line...he is 100% disrespectful!!! A horse should never try to do this, no matter of his age or sex. You need to walk up to him and when he starts to do it, take a lunge whip and give him a good smack. Be consistent....every time! If you have him on a lead and he try to swing around and get you, give him a job!! Lunge him really good or back him up for a bunch of steps, so he knows YOU are in charge. I would put him on a lead rope...have someone hold him and you attempt to walk up to his rear end. (don't get too close at first) When he starts to "attack", give him a job and don't let him stop until he can stand peacefully when you approach him. You may want to try to use a rope to touch his hind legs, while keeping you out of the way. Once he gets comfortable with you handling his hind legs, the problem may just disappear. When I bought my gelding that I have now, he would try to swing his rear into me when I tried to brush him or pick his feet. He just needed to learn that he is rewarded for standing peacefully. When he acts badly, he must work! Good luck....