This week’s episode was inspired by our podcast’s editor and producer, John Bukenas. John’s daughter and sister both spend a lot of time around horses, and his sister has been finding that many of the horses she works with like to bite. So naturally, this episode will tackle how to rein in your horses bites, nibbles, and nips.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that when a horse bits you, it hurts! They’re big, and when they bite they don’t really know how to release, which makes for very painful pinch. But most horses don’t bite out of aggression. If you look at biting from the horse’s perspective you can learn why they are displaying that behavior, and then teach them how to avoid it. Horses go through developmental stages, much like humans. One of these is equivalent to an “oral fixation” stage. A horse’s curiosity manifests through touching and feeling and tasting, and since they don’t have fingers they have to explore with their muzzle. It’s possible to foster this curiosity while also teaching them what behaviors are acceptable and not. I like to run my fingers across a curious horse’s mouth and tongue when they start to prod me. When I see the horse start to relax a bit, I stop right that second. If the horse wanders into biting territory I work on making the area I’m in uncomfortable for the horse. By wiggling and moving and swinging my arms I become obnoxious enough to make the horse back off, and if the horse nudges towards the swinging of my arms and gets bopped, that horse has punished itself. As the relationship between you and your horse grows it’s okay to get more comfortable with their play and curious behaviors. Learn to read their body language and know the signs that indicate a bite might be coming, and when those behaviors occur you take the privilege of being close to you away from the horse.

Key Takeaways:

If a horse bites a human out of aggression it is usually due to one of three reasons. Either the horse is aggressive by nature, the horse is protecting itself, or the horse is protecting its territory and environment.

Horses love to play. It’s your responsibility to teach them the rules and keep yourself safe. Learn their body language to know when a bite might be coming.

When a horse sees you as a leader they will want to be closer to you. But every horse bites, kicks, and bucks. When their face is close to your skin and you hear their mouth open with a smack you need to immediately distance the horse from you. Revoke their privilege of being close to you temporarily.

Many people have problems when deworming their horses, as they need to squirt medicine out of a tube into their mouth. Whacking your horse every time they bite you is a surefire way to make them anxious in the future when you need to work with their mouth.

What do you think?

We want to hear your questions, comments, and suggestions. Share them in the comments section below, reach out to us on the Van Hargis Horsemanship Facebook page, or email me! We want your suggestions for topics we can address in future episodes, so if there’s a particular area where you’re struggling, or just curious, let us know!

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Learn More About My Co-Host

My co-host, Laura McClellan, is a wife, mom to five, and attorney who also hosts The Productive Woman, a podcast about productivity for busy women. Check it out!

Next Time on Ride Every Stride

We’ll be sharing more practical tips for better horsemanship (and humanship). If you don’t want to miss it, be sure to subscribe in iTunes or on Stitcher.

Thank you for listening. Until next time . . . remember to Ride Every Stride!

Van

Van Hargis Horsemanship