advice on nipping

[sharon spiers]

Hi all. My friend had a rising 6 17 hand cob. He's adorable and the most chilled horse. Nothing seems to phase him. She's had him about 7/8 months and recently he has started trying to nip, especially when he's bought in from the field . Its very obvious he's not being malicious, his ears are forward and he doesn't lunge at you. He only seems to do it when your not looking. Surprisingly , as he's so quiet , chilled and laid back, he's in charge in the field.in a completlry non aggressive kind of way. I've never seen him nip or kick out at another horse but whatever he's saying to them they always move aside for him. My gut instinct is that he's a young horse pushing his boundaries and trying to dominate. I don't like hitting horses on the face/head, even though it has been suggested to smack him hard on the nose when he does it. Another suggestion was to wrap a spare lead rope round his nose so that he can't bite!! This just seems to be ignoring the reason and will result in a horse that is only bought in as long as he's bound round the muzzle. Surely better to address the issue. Now I'm really not very experienced and wouldn't dream of saying I know but my feeling is that its a good idea to do lots of ground work teaching him to move away from pressure and to show him that you are his leader. When he's tried to nip me I've turned to face him and said no, then have looked him square in the face and made him stepbabackwards. This does result in him trying to nip again and then I circle the end of the lead rope in front of him and say 'back'. I carry on doing this until he takes a few steps back then just stop and wait. If he steps forward I repeat it. Now I've explained what I've done but need advice. Is this the right thing to be doing. I do handle him a lot and my friend is unsure what to do as well. As usual in the horsy world lots of people are offering advice but most of it involves hitting him. She would really appreciate advice on how to understand this behaviour rather than beat him.
Thanks
Sharon xxx

[mandymoo]

Hi Sharon, don't know if what I do is right or wrong, but my pony is a bit of a nibbler too, but not nastily, he is just greedy!. I don't smack him on the nose, because i don't think he understands that. so when he does it I scrape my foot down the front of hislower leg and foot. Not too hard, but it seems to distract him, so he stops.

[avril]

Hi Sharon, I think you've accurately summed up your friend's horse. He's a young horse who is likely to take time to fully mature due to his size testing the boundaries within a relationship or with people generally. As mentioned in today's newletter, dominant horses are not necessarily aggressive, they hold a certain presence/energy which others recognise and accede to. Even though he nips with no ill intent, it is best to put a stop to it. In horse terms it is a gesture which says humans are good and kind but potentially lower in the hierarchy. After all, his field companions don't try to nip him! What would he do if they did?

There are various ways to prevent nipping which can turn quite quickly into biting if not addressed. The most obvious is to stop giving treats. It is a good idea to create and maintain your own space within which he must understand he isn't allowed to enter. It is also good to minimize hand/arm movements. The more they wave around, the more they will catch his attention. A good way to deal with this rather than hitting him is rub his muzzle and lips quite roughly every time he tries to nip. The timing has to be right so that he associates his action with an unpleasant reaction. Horse don't like their mouths being touched in this way and if it is done right, can be a very effective deterrent. Hope this helps and let us know how you and his owner get on.

[anakin14]

HI Sharon, the first thing and absolutely most important thing for youngsters is to not feed titbits from the hand! So I guess make sure your friend isn't treating the horse from her hand. If treats absolutely must be given, it is better to give them in a bucket or with their hard feed.

My youngster (who is now 4, 5 in June) went through a phase around 2 years old where he would nip elbows! Very naughty. I made sure everyone on the yard knew that he was not to be titbitted, as it is not fair to encourage him to nip at people by hand feeding. After this, the next time he went to do it, I took a big step towards him, a short tap on the shoulder (you don't need to whack them!!) and accompanied with a 'Ack!' noise! Well of course he was quite shocked and I felt quite sorry for him bless him, it was clear he didn't realise he wasn't supposed to do it. He didn't try again for weeks, but when he did, all that was necessary was just the 'Ack!' noise, and he instantly realised he had been naughty.

These days it is very rare for him to try to nip, and I have only seen it happen with well wishing non horsey people fussing around his head (he is not a horse that enjoys being over-fussed). However, the good old 'Ack!' always works, for everything in fact. He knows he has been naughty if I make that noise!

I have noticed with Anakin it works ridden as well, he is obviously a youngster and is quite a fiesty horse, he can become excitable in company and will ocassionaly buck in canter if he is in a group. While I am working on getting him out and about with as many different horses as possible so that it all becomes less exciting, I usually find that a well timed 'Ack!' at the slightest hint of a buck coming on usually makes him think twice!

I genuinely think young horses just don't know that they are being naughty some times, and particularly with the heavier breeds, will sometimes use their size to their advantage unless they are taught otherwise.

Good luck!!