How do you get a horse to stop biting?

Question

The horse i ride bites when I tack him up. I've tried eveything from stoping giving him treats from hand to tapping him on the shoulder when he tries to bite. Everything I've tried just makes him even more aggrivated. Does anyone know how to stop it?

He bites during the whole process, grooming, saddling, bridling.

It mostly seems like he bites for treats because he always goes for my pockets.

Answer 1

Okay, personally, if a horse is going to give you crappy faces while tacking up for no reason other than grouchiness then that's okay, provided pain has been ruled out. BUT for him to actually reach out and attempt to bite you is inexcusable.

You have to be very diligent and very consistant with teaching him that biting a human is going to hurt him instead. At all times you have to watch his body language. Growl at him when he threatens you. If even throws his head with teeth bared in your direction discipline him quickly then continue as if nothing happened.

To discipline there are two ways that have been effective for me, depending on your position at the time of being threatened. Use your elbows. The hardest part of your arm is your elbow. If your horse reaches for you step forward and aim your elbow directly at your horse's mouth. He'll hit your elbow and cause himself pain. Don't swing your elbow at him, let his momentum and force do the work as you step forward to meet him, growl or confidently say, "No!" or "Quit it!" or "Stop" whichever comes first, but use the same verbal cue each time. He'll think twice about it next time, but it won't break habit, so you have to be consistant, eventually you'll only need the verbal cue to catch your horse's attention and warn him to stop.

The second technique I've used is actually biting my horse when he threatens me with teeth bared. The best place is on the neck a couple inches in front of the shoulder. The fleshy part where the skin can easily be picked up. To "bite" your horse, use your thumb and the knuckle of your index finger to pinch the skin. Pull and do a half twist at the same time, while letting the skin release through your fingers. This imitates the bite of another horse, but in a more "humane" fashion since you aren't using sharp teeth. Use your verbal cue at the same time.

Be safe! and Good luck!
~Jenn

Answer 2

Definately do not give treats anymore- some horses just can't handle it.
What you need to do (I am assuming he is either biting for more treats, because he is dominant, or because he wants you to hurry up) is let him know you are the boss and you don't want him biting you.
Every time he pins his ears back (precursor to biting), say knock it off in a mean voice and stare at him with a mean stare right in his eyes. This will work for 90% of the horses unless he is dominant over you. If you are dominant, he should put his ears forward and start fidgiting- horses hate being stared at. The minute his ears go forward- praise him.
If he is dominant- giving him a stare down and a NO is not going to do anything- you need to give him a jab in the muzzle, say "knock it off" and then mean stare. Just do it once- and most likely his ears will pop up and he will jump back in surprise that you actually got after him (right now, it sounds like you aren't). Once his ears go back up, pretend like nothing ever happened. The minute his ears get pinned back again, start with step one, going to the muzzle jab if he makes any head gestures to bite you.
It may take a couple times, but most horses pick it up pretty quick.

Answer 3

The method I used with my horse (who was a stud colt at the time) was pinching his muzzle. Everytime he offered to bite, I pinched his muzzle. Don't grab a big chunk, just get enough to fit between your thumb and pointer finger and make it quick, don't grab and hold. Also, you have to do it as soon as he tries to bite. Don't wait until he pulls his head away to grab his muzzle, you have to really be ready. While you pinch, make a loud SHHHH sound. Most horses respond better to this noise than NO! When you are grooming and saddling and he doesn't try to bite. Reward him with soft strokes on the face and neck. Find some of his favorite spots and really lavish him when he's being good. My horse likes behind his ears, under his chin and around his eyes lightly scratched. This should work, I learned this method from a natural horsemanship trainer and it has worked on all the biters at my barn. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

I feed my horse approx. 3grms of garlic per day mixed in with his breakfast feed. It gets into the blood stream and leaves a nasty taste in the blood on which mozzies and gnats feed. It doesn't completely stop the bites but is a great help. I buy it in 3kg bags for about £10. and can be used in home cooking as well. I also use a good fly repellant cream round his eyes, tummy and "dingly dangly bits". If you have a grey or a horse with pink nose and heels put a factor 30 sun block cream on.

Answer 5

Make sure you tie him up short when doing these things, you can also give him a little pop on the nose when he bites, don't hit him anywhere else on the head or he will become head shy. Make sure your saddle and bridle fit him comfortably, if not this could be making him grumpy. You can also try putting a chain over his nose and "shanking" him when he goes to bite, along with a voice command NO!

Answer 6

First off, stop feeding him treats by hand. Give them to him in a feeder or bucket. Biting is a really nasty habit and needs to be addressed firmly if it is out of hand. If he goes to bite you give him a good tap on his nose. By firm, but not too firm at the beginning. If he continues put out your energy a bit.

Answer 7

he could be in pain. have a vet check his back, neck and head areas and maybe his legs, too. you said he bites when you try to tack him up? then yes, i think he is in pain. or perhaps he doesn't feel good. what are you feeding him? too much or too little food can cause stomach pains and problems.


are you being too rough with him when tacking him up? try to be a little more gentle with him next time. if he is a stallion, it could be horomones. you could get him gelded, or if you don't like that idea you could ask your vet for some drugs so he'll calm down. has he had any bad or painful experiences while being ridden or tacked up? horses are very smart animals and have an extraordinary memory. if none of these ideas work, ask your vet for more information. good luck.

Answer 8

I recommend not to give him treats, all your doing is rewarding him for bad behavior that you don't want. What part of tacking up does he bite at? (I will post another answer, if you add more detail - meaning what part does he bite at)

Answer 9

I would quit giving him treats all together!I LOVE GIVING TREATS! but sometimes they can cause problems so you mite have 2 quit