"My horse keeps biting me"
Do you have the problem that your horse bites you and others all the time? You do not know the reason for this and are meanwhile completely at a loss because nobody dares to approach your vicious horse anymore? There's always a reason a horse bites. Here's how to deal with a snappy horse, what you can do to ultimately help your horse.
Find the reason your horse is biting your horse
If your horse bites, it's not without reason. In order to be able to remedy this bad habit, you must first learn to understand properly.
- Think carefully about the situations in which your horse will bite. Usually there is a trigger for biting. Observe the situation in which your horse is biting.
- Usually are Horseswho bite, stressed out in some form. Any form of stress is possible. Maybe your horse is not balanced enough? Think about whether your horse has enough exercise and does not have to spend most of the time in the stable.
- Assess the general condition of your horse. Does it look healthy? Often, teeth that have not been rasped are also a reason a horse will bite. Have your horse's teeth checked by a veterinarian, ideally a horse dentist, and treated if necessary.
- Is the saddling situation a moment when your horse bites you? Saddle compulsion is also a common cause of biting.
- Does your horse bite you while cleaning? Be clear about where to brush your horse when it starts to bite you. There are horses that are extremely ticklish and show their displeasure by biting.
- Worry about where your horse used to be if it was previously owned. Maybe it was treated badly there? This may have evolved into the horse's response to biting you.
- Perhaps you have conjured up the bad habit yourself by always having treats with you in your pocket, but not feeding them immediately. Very spirited horses can develop this bad habit out of their greed. Your horse is biting you because it wants the treat faster.
You have bought a horse and of course the new buddy should as soon as possible ...
Once you have found out why your horse is biting, you can begin to counteract the biting and, at best, completely wean your horse off.
Your horse bites, you can do that
In general, you need a lot of patience and calm to get your horse used to biting. Your horse will not forget the bad habit overnight, it takes until it has gained enough confidence and gives up its defensive stance.
- First of all, make sure that your horse feels comfortable, has enough varied exercise and is allowed to stand on the pasture with other members of its own species. These are basic requirements to enable the well-being of your horse.
- Announce your horse acoustically when you approach him, regardless of whether it is in the pasture or in the stable. As a flight animal, the horse does not like to be surprised and can bite as a reaction.
- If your horse is standing in the stable, you may first distract it with a small dose of hay. Once it's busy, you can approach it without it biting you.
- Avoid hectic movements within reach of the horse's head. Show him through your own calm that you exude that there is no reason to be afraid.
- However, never take your eyes off your horse's mouth as you can still expect your horse to bite you.
- Halt your horse and hold it while you stroke it. If your horse allows it, don't skimp on the region around the mouth. In this way it learns that the touch is pleasant and that it does not have to be afraid.
- Do not keep any treats in your pockets, only pick them up when you can use them.
- Be very attentive to everything you do. As soon as you can even begin to see that your horse is trying to bite, stop it. Take the horse's head and push it to the side by the halter and say no vigorously, turn away and show your horse your disinterest.
- Do not continue with your work on the horse until it is relaxed and calm. If it tries to bite again, react as just described.
- Do confidence exercises with your horse, get him to follow you without compulsion. Once your horse has gained confidence, it will no longer bite as quickly.
- Be careful not to put your horse in situations where it is uncomfortable or it will bite to show its displeasure.
Give a horse that is biting the chance to assess the current situation and always keep calm. Never hit your horse when it tries to bite you. You would only encourage this bad habit instead of counteracting it. With patience, consistency and calm, you will reach your goal and ensure that your horse no longer bites, or at least only rarely bites.
