Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

FYI, I tried this tactic with my gelding and it did not work.  I had to use Jim's approach along with backing him up because my 'try to kill him' really wasn't strong enough.

 

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Kathy

 

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Amber Roberts" <Amber@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

 

 Everytime he feels it tightening he tries to bite. ... Can you suggest ways to get him to stop, I usually growl at him and sometimes i'll slap him on the neck but its really not that effective.

 

Don't slap him.  A horse's skin is so sensitive, he can feel a fly anywhere.  So a slap is abusive.  I recently bought  a horse that likes to lip at me.  Hasn't bitten but a lip is the first step.  I forget which, but one of the horse trainers (Anderson, Parelli, whoever) said that if a horse lips or nips or bites at you, you need to give his head more attention than he wants.  Rub his muzzle until he's tired of it.  Every time he swings his head toward you, start rubbing his muzzle.  I've been doing this with my new horse and he's a lot better already.

 

Amber