# HELP!!! He keeps Biting me



## HorsesHorses08 (Jul 7, 2009)

Help!! I have a horse iv had for almost a year and we brought him home and he started biting me. The first timme was really bad because he got me in the throat. It left a ugly mark to. Now hes biting me all the time. Anybody have any advice??


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

When he does that make a really loud noise and say "NO", and hit/pinch him. Don't hit him in the face to make him head shy but he needs to know that it's not acceptable. ESP if he's getting you in the throat, you know that could kill you?. Don't let him test you, and don't be afraid to hit hard if needed.


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## HorsesHorses08 (Jul 7, 2009)

Iv tried hitting him and it dosen't even phase him. My mom wont even let me out in the pasture without anybody there because she is worried he'll do it again and the next time will kill me.


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## kumquat27 (Jun 3, 2009)

a horse i rode bit me many times and we had to eventually had to REALLY get after him. you have to get them Really hard and show them that you mean it. you have to do it immediatly following the bite or else they wont understand why.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

You didn't say if you had any treats or food on you at the time but...don't :wink: If a horse bites be sure you never ever give it treats from your hand. I also like to bite back. Grab him by the end of his nose or lip and give it a twist. If you can't get the nose grab him at the base of the neck in front of the shoulder and give the skin there a pinch. 
That shoulder/neck area is where his mom would give him a nip if he was acting up so you do the same. He will stop after awhile but until you get his respect be careful. Horse bites can be not only painful but dangerous.
Sounds like he needs some groundwork to get him respecting you.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

I agree with smacking him a good one, and I DO whack em on the nose. None of mine are head shy, and none bite - though they all do as youngsters, and new horses coming in have always tried to push. But, my method goes beyond waiting for him to do it. Be ready. Next time he tries to bite you, smack him a good one on the nose - now here's the important part - BAIT HIM INTO DOING IT AGAIN, and whack him again. I keep this up until they don't take the bait, and I never trust them initially to just know to knock it off. Keep your guard up. That's a horribly dangerous situation, and considering he's bit you in the throat, I wouldn't worry in the least about making him headshy for a little while. 
How have you been able to ride him without being able to be alone with him? 
What triggers him into the biting? There's often more to it than what you think initially.


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

HorsesHorses08 said:


> Help!! I have a horse iv had for almost a year and we brought him home and he started biting me. The first timme was really bad because he got me in the throat. It left a ugly mark to. Now hes biting me all the time. Anybody have any advice??


BEAT HIM! Yell, scream, get "big", and whoop his monkey butt until he's backing away from you as fast as he can. 

Since he's now learned that he can bite, this will take some time to fix. You need to be SUPER consistent with him. Watch him carefully, but feel confident that you CAN over come this. If you're scared, he will see that as weakness and he will not learn.

As soon as he pins his ears or makes any move like he's going to bite, you need to get big, yell at him in a stern and low voice (QUIT THAT), and back him out of your space. If he opens his mouth like he's going to bite, use whatever is in your hand, do the above, plus smack the [email protected] out of him (chest and shoulder is preferable, but any available piece of horse will do, lol). You canNOT tolerate even one little bit of aggressive behavior out of him.

This kind of behavior is one of the only times I will condone and advise "hitting" a horse. You need to "buck up", grow come cajones, be CONFIDENT, and teach him who's boss. If you're not up to the challenge, then you NEED to sell him or give him away before he really hurts you or someone else.

I would also have the vet give him a good once over, checking for pain and running blood for chemical or hormonal imbalances. If he's on any grain, STOP. If he gets Alfalfa hay, switch to grass or timothy hay. High energy feeds or horses that have feed sensitivities can display poor behavior.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

HorsesHorses08 said:


> Iv tried hitting him and it dosen't even phase him. My mom wont even let me out in the pasture without anybody there because she is worried he'll do it again and the next time will kill me.


You're not hitting him hard enough. My daughter is very small for her age. She was taught that if a horse ever tried to bit her she was to make a fist and punch him immediately and without hesitation.

Your horse has learned that biting is acceptable behavior.


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

I agree with the others,give him a good whack.One of my horses tryed biting me and I smacked him right on his nose, only had to do it a few times before he learned and he never got head shy, now he follows me around everywhere.


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## PumpkinzMyBaby22 (Jul 5, 2009)

with my pony, a light punishment doesn't do anything. when i mean to hit him, my hand my goes red for sometime afterwards(on the neck, slightly softer on the muzzle). it still isn't enough. i am down to the crop on some days he is that bad. If your horse does get head shy, a few mins after a the hit, i would rub down his face and reasure him that there is nothing to fear. i do that with mine if he jerks his head away to much from my hand, just to be sure. Also as your hitting him, yell " NO!" in your big angry, disapionted voice.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

You need to bite him back. Yes, I am serious. Every biter I've ever been around was cured with a good bite back. Horses do it in nature, so naturally it works.


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## HorsesHorses08 (Jul 7, 2009)

What triggers him to bite is if i am giving him a bath and he bares his teeth at he than he gets slapped in the shoulder whit the lead rope. When he bit me on the throat it was in the pasture. i was showing him the water bucket and he wanted to eat and i wouldnt let him, so he lunged for my throat. He dosen't lay his ears back when be bits he just kinda goes for it. hopefully his had behavior dosen't rub of onmy thoroughbred! that one will be hard to fix!!!


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

HorsesHorses08 said:


> What triggers him to bite is if i am giving him a bath and he bares his teeth at he than he gets slapped in the shoulder whit the lead rope. When he bit me on the throat it was in the pasture. i was showing him the water bucket and he wanted to eat and i wouldnt let him, so he lunged for my throat. He dosen't lay his ears back when be bits he just kinda goes for it. hopefully his had behavior dosen't rub of onmy thoroughbred! that one will be hard to fix!!!


Sounds like he's a being a punk @$$. YOU need to demand his respect and obedience. You are not his toy or playmate, you are the boss. You need to start acting like the boss and make him behave. This is all on you, not him. You can either change your own behavior, or you need to get rid of him.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

Take a thumb-tack, and whenever he bites you, stab him in the nose with it. Make it as subtle as you can so he won't know it's you, so it won't make him 'nose shy' or anything. Now if he's being out-right agressive, let him *know* it is you. NO horse should be out-right agressive. If he continues, I'd sell him in a heart-beat.


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## Chavez (May 18, 2009)

my three year old had a HUGE biting issue when i got him. it was the baby biting but than started to get really bad at feeding time. he came after me one day when i was giving him his grain and got me on the cheek. well i tell you what i got after him and slapped him in the nose and yelled so loud he backed away from me why i moved towards him untill he could go no further in his stall. the entire time blood running down my face..Well that was 6 months ago and he has NEVER tried to bite again and i tell you what i have never gotten after any horse like this before but it worked.I am safer now and he respects me..He is my baby and I love him to death but it needed to be done...GET MEAN .good luck


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

^^ YES! Get MEAN!! That is the key! For those 3 seconds, make him think he is going to DIE.


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## Chavez (May 18, 2009)

sunny06 said:


> ^^ YES! Get MEAN!! That is the key! For those 3 seconds, make him think he is going to DIE.



baaaaaaahhhhhhaaaaa......yes make him get that look in his eye where he says "holy cow she going to kick my butt"


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Brighteyes said:


> You need to bite him back. Yes, I am serious. Every biter I've ever been around was cured with a good bite back. Horses do it in nature, so naturally it works.


:lol: An old cowboy friend of mine did that to a biter. He grabbed him around the neck snagged his ear and bit the tip of it off :shock:


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Hey there...
While like another poster said i don't really like to smak a horse either but biting?? No way would I even deal with this behavior. I would do what is necessary to ge the job done.
I have used the ol' thumbtack thing but with this horse I feel it is way more of an aggressive deal than that method will allow for.
I think that some groundwork and respect excercises are for sure a must with this horse.
One thing I would do when ever working around this horse is to never put my hand down....I would always have a stance where my hand was available as soon as the slightest hint of a bite was coming my hand would be there ready and waiting.....If there was a bite coming the smack would seem to the horse as if he sort of "ran into it" ....if the bite already took place a big smack would follow...Not to the point like others have said that head hsyness becomes and issue but this is a very disrespectful and dangerous issue.
You did not mention how old this horse is or if he is gelded or not??? Another thing to consider is that sometimes certain horses just are not suited for certain people....this is a possibility. What else do you know about his backround? What was going on before you purchased this horse? Has he just in the past year started the biting issue or was this something that you knew about prior to the purchase?
I think if I were in your shoes i would seek some advis from a trainer who has dealt with really naughty nasty problem horses and get them to start helping you ...start on the ground...the more of a respect you have there the better it will be under saddle. 
I am shocked this animal got to your throat...This is so very dangerous, and if you do not have it within you to correct it then I would get someone to work with you and the horse. Another thing this horse does is he senses your emotions....Something you might want to do is really be aware of the types of vibes and emotions your sending out. Horses and other animals are very sensitive to these things....
I hope this helped some
Half Pass


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## goldilockz (Aug 1, 2008)

Bite him back. Fo Sho.


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

yep, i agree with all of the above advice. your horse is biting you aggressively and it needs to stop. i'd say smack him hard anywhere that's "fleshy" i.e. shoulder, neck should do the trick. the neck might work best because it will sting a bit (nothing permanent. will just get his attention) and its in easy reach. bc as someone above stated, you have to smack them RIGHT after the bite happens. otherwise, he'll just think you're hitting him for no reason.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I bit my horse so hard once(he liked to get aggresive) that it took a piece of skin out of him like any other horse would do.

PETA would have a cow.


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## Misfit (Jun 29, 2009)

sunny06 said:


> make him think he is going to DIE.


Would you perhaps picked that up from me? I remember saying that quite a bit on HC.

Never the less, I agree. When it comes to safety, screw being a softy, do what works.

Personally, I'd be carrying a crop or a lunge whip with me when working with this horse. Lunge Whip when feeding. If he tries to get in your space beat his punk @ss down. Make him get out of your space FAST. Make him run, make him work. Be big, be loud, be ****ed, be SCARY.

Channel your inner hormonal psyco-b**** (we all have one) and make the point that for him, biting=not fun.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

HorsesHorses08 said:


> What triggers him to bite is if i am giving him a bath and he bares his teeth at he than he gets slapped in the shoulder whit the lead rope. When he bit me on the throat it was in the pasture. i was showing him the water bucket and he wanted to eat and i wouldnt let him, so he lunged for my throat. He dosen't lay his ears back when be bits he just kinda goes for it. hopefully his had behavior dosen't rub of onmy thoroughbred! that one will be hard to fix!!!


OK, this tells me something. There is no way in the world that I'd allow a horse to think he is allowed to bare his teeth at me. I think you've trained your horse to believe that these aggressive behaviors are acceptable. They are not. 

This guy needs to learn some respect. This is a dangerous, possibly life threateningly dangerous. Sounds like you need some training help with this one.


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

If you do hit a horse I was told once that the only two places to hit a horse was on the muzzle or under the belly because its the only place that they can really "feel it" other wise they just think its a pat.


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## HorsesHorses08 (Jul 7, 2009)

thanks for all of the help and ill take any more advice anybody has thanks so much! ill be checking in!


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

Do you have a trainer that can help you? If not, look for one that deals with problemed horses and have them come out and give you some ground-training lessons. You need to learn to be assertive with him. Some work in the round pen would be good for you both. If you don't have a round pen, then a small paddock will work just fine.


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## Brumby (Nov 5, 2008)

http://www.horseforum.com/natural-horsemanship/why-force-31027/


Here is a discussion on how to properly discipline your horse (kinda).


Don't be afraid to punch him hard (if you have a dressage whip us it). Biting is not acceptable at all. He could seriously hurt you, and you are more important than the horse. That is exactly how another horse would do it to.


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## Cremello (Jul 8, 2009)

A good thing to do is scream NO or QUIT. Another is hit him in his sensitive spots. Sensitive areas like his face,wither,tummy,in side legs, and right above the hooves. In those areas you may tickle him ( horses don't like that in sensitive areas) or simply hit him. Those areas are likely going to hurt him since they are sensitive areas. Remember biting should never be acceptable. A horse is much bigger then you and he could seriously hurt you with all the force in him.
Here is a good link. Good Luck [[[HUGS]]]
http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_behavior/biting.htm


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## luvs2ride1979 (Nov 9, 2007)

Yelling is fine, but you should do so in a low and assertive voice. Screaming high pitched or hysterical will give the wrong message to your horse.

Also, "no" sounds a lot like "whoa", so I prefer "quit that" or "quit" as my horses are trained that whoa (or ho) is the "stop" command when they're moving forward, and is always said in a nice/calm manner to get a nice/calm stop out of them.


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

I worked with a horse apropriately named Nibbles. She bit me and I popped her in the mouth, shook the lead rope, making her back away from me. Then, I rubbed her face and started practicing disengaging her hind and front end. After about five minutes of working with her, I put my hand to her mouth. She didnt bite me. She hasnt bitten me since then and I've been working with her for almost two years. People think its mean to hit a horse, but in order to be dominant over the horse, you cant take anything from him. Whenever they bite you, make them think its the worst thing they could ever do, even though its not. Kicking and bucking usually come from a lower horse, biting comes from the dominant. When a horse bites you, they are claiming dominance over you. They wont ever really respect you until you brake them of their "habit". Bite him back. He wont bite anymore.


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## HorsesHorses08 (Jul 7, 2009)

i tried than and i wish i had a dumb horse
lol


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

luvs2ride1979 said:


> BEAT HIM! Yell, scream, get "big", and whoop his monkey butt until he's backing away from you as fast as he can.
> 
> Since he's now learned that he can bite, this will take some time to fix. You need to be SUPER consistent with him. Watch him carefully, but feel confident that you CAN over come this. If you're scared, he will see that as weakness and he will not learn.
> 
> ...


Agree 100%, stop at nothing. A horse that has gone for your neck is out and out dangerous. That's what they do to each other in the wild and it's not play!!!!!!!!

ETA: I didn't have time to read all the posts, didn't have to, this is the best advise! I did read about the biting them back, I wouldn't really want to see an inexperienced person try this ......


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yeah, biting shouldn't ever be tolerated. He needs to know who's boss, & that it's not respectful. I'd smack him on the neck or shoulder. I knew a horse who used to bite when I was about 11, & she finally stopped after I gave her a few good smacks on the shoulder. Not hard, of course. But it taught her who's boss. I also don't like to 'hit', but some discipline's not bad...especially if they're biting.
& biting them back? Lol, I've never heard of that...but it may work as well! :lol:


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Does he give you any warning? Playful nudges, head tosses, shaking, etc? If so, you need to redirect that 'bored' energy, by putting him to work...because he is biting, I suggest that you get him to work longing, as that will get him away from you during that energetic time. 

Always carry a crop with him, and carry it in your lead rope hand, so that you can use it to 'push' his head and neck away. It's hard to explain, but what you will do is walk with the crop 'up' and in a position that he can 'visualize' it as a barrier to you. If he tries to invade your space, swing it back and forth; it may take some practice. He will probably wind up getting whapped by the crop a time or two by the time he figures out NOT to invade your bubble, but hopefully, he will figure it out, so you don't have to continue avoiding him. 

You may also want to find a trainer who specializes in problem horses, especially if this guy is so obnoxious about his bitey behaviour. A biting horse is not a fun animal to have, especially because they are so large an animal...get some professional help, before you or your family gets hurt more. Leaving the horse 'alone' isn't the answer either...he needs to be worked with, as the habit won't simply resolve itself!!!


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