# Stop chewing lead rope and reins!



## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

My horse is mouthy. He doesn't crib, sucking air, but will put his mouth on things such as metal gate, wooden fence, plastic bucket, his lead rope and reins! He doesn't chew til these things are damaged, he just mouths them. 
The vet has recently floated his teeth, wolf teeth have been removed. No apparent medical issues. His diet consists of sweet feed, a little hay, grass pastures, and amplify. He has access to salt and mineral blocks. He is in good weight, is exercised almost every day for at least an hour, and has pasture buddies.
As you can guess, it is the chewing on the reins that is the most annoying of the items. He doesn't usually try to put them in his mouth when I am riding, but feels the need to do it when I am leading him whether I leave the reins over his neck or pull them off his neck. I have tried popping him in the chest with my hand,growling, and then opening his mouth to take them out, but I feel like in the few seconds it takes between the pop and getting them out of his mouth, I have lost the punishment in translation.

Any ideas as to why he is doing this and how I can stop it? I am aware that there is bitter spray, but I would like to try that as a last resort because of the proximity of the reins to his mouth....unless someone with the same problem has used it successfully.


Thanks for any suggestions!


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## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

I have a pony in my barn that does that as well and I'm going to be showing him for the owner when I get back from England in a month. I'd really like to see people's answers.


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

I am really hoping to get some good ideas myself!
I don't think he does it out of anger. His ears are always forward and he has a good attitude in general.....maybe it is like a pacifier for him, but I would still like it to stop if possible!


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## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

How old is he? Being 'mouthy' is fairly common in young horses - a young pony I'm currently breaking in certainly is! If your horse is young, then he'll probably grow out of it. If he's not young, unfortunately its probably a habit he's gotten into and breaking this habit may be difficult.


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

He turned five in February......just young? or bad habit????


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't know there is really to much you can do. Sounds like he might have let away with playing as a youngster. If he doesn't destroy things and he's just playing then let him be. Keep things out of his reach in case he gets ideas and leave it at that. I know of a lot of GP horses whom I know are also very mouthy but they don't destroy things. Some of them do it for endorphin release but again it's all playing not out of bad habit


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

Oh no M2G! Not what I wanted to hear! I don't want to give up on banishing this bad habit. Do you think it would be okay to use that bitter spray on the reins then once they are dry, clip back to bit?


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

melinda27858 said:


> Oh no M2G! Not what I wanted to hear! I don't want to give up on banishing this bad habit. Do you think it would be okay to use that bitter spray on the reins then once they are dry, clip back to bit?


If you want to put something on the reins, it means you are leaving the reins in his reach while you are not around which is your problems not his. If you are there when the gear is at his reach it shouldn't be a problem because you can then stop him from reaching them.
The spray would only be good if he is destroying everything including fencings and various other things around the pasture which should not be damaged. It's not what you described in your post.


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

M2G, I agree with that statement 100%! Avoiding situations where he can be mouthy is ideal. However, I never leave him alone when bridled. When leading him to the arena, round pen, mounting block, etc. when he has his bridle and reins on, he will do a slight twist of his head and a reach ith his lips to get the reins in his mouth. It takes only a millisecond, and I try to catch each time he does it...keyword "try." For example, today as I was leading him the 200 feet from where I tacked up to the arena, he slipped or tried to slip the reins into his mouth at least five times.
I was thinking that the bitter spray would leave the reins not mouth-worthy for him...giving auto discomfort when he slipped them into his mouth. I am not sure exactly how it works.
I am still open for suggestions on how to make reins-in-the-mouth uncomfortable enough for him to NOT want to mouth them.


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## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

I think I would just use the Bitter Apple and forget about it. Not that it will stop all of his mouthy-ness, but at least save your reins. I had a horse that constantly wanted to chew leather..reins..stirrups on the horse standing next to him...liked to chew lead ropes, even with a hay net in front of him. LOL The Bitter Apple stopped it, only on the items it was currently on, but hey, it saved money in lead ropes and reins...especially the show tack..grrrr when they ruin expensive leathrer show reins! 

It might stain light colored leather, though. I generally have dark tack so it was never a big deal. better than tooth marks and green slobber at least. LOL


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

Thank you Barefoot! So, it WILL work for his reins, and I will try it on his lead rope as well. He usually won't mouth the other things if he is out grazing normally, which is why those things aren't an issue...but chewing on the reins is really annoying! Makes leading difficult!


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## laceyf53 (Oct 21, 2007)

My gelding is the same way, I just don't let them near his face. Problem solved!


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## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

laceyf53 said:



> My gelding is the same way, I just don't let them near his face. Problem solved!


Ah, your horse obviously doesn't have the "rubber lips" that can stretch past the shank of his bit to the yummy leather below. :lol: 
Leo (my horse I mentioned) could reach just about anything and then will snatch his face away and blink at you-it was a game to him. He loved to suck as much rein or lead rope in and gum it all up and spit it back out. Very clever horse. He also loved to drink coke and would purposly knock over any can to see if it has some of that sugar water in it...he was even courteous enough to set upright again when he was done. Leaving us to wonder "who drank my pop, and why is the trailer fender so sticky?" LOL 

Another fav. trick was to sidle up next to my mom (he only did this to her) and if she had a hooded jacket with strings..he would quickly snatch the string and zip it out of the hood and run a few feet, stop and swing it in circles. :roll: He never did it with the rest of the family, so something about HER strings were fun. That horse was (still is-Mom still has him) a hoot.


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## Kirsti Arndt (Jun 23, 2008)

make sure he doesnt like bitter apple before you dose his stuff up-i used it for my German Shepherd and she ate everything in the house-really=everything she loves bitter -go figure- your horse may too
i agree with M2G-keep stuff out of his reach


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

Barefoot, you must know my horse...."rubber lips!" I have him in a full cheek snaffle, so it really isn't too easy to keep the reins away from his mouth. His lips reach out and around to grab the reins where they clip onto the bit and he doesn't strain at all to get them!

Kirsti, thanks for the hint on testing the bitter spray. Knowing my luck, I would have drowned his reins in the stuff only to have him go crazy over the stuff!


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## Kirsti Arndt (Jun 23, 2008)

here is a partial list just for your entertainment
3 sofas, futon, all the wiring for big screen tv, remote, vcr bitten in 1/2, carpeting in family room, and lounge chair totaly destroyed heheheeh stil love the dog!!!!! dog trainer came in and handed her a lemon which she happily ate-a whole lemon with the zest!!! we moved on to other training
my other leased horse Romeo also loved bitter-
wish you the best and stay cool!


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## melinda27858 (Dec 27, 2007)

Kirsti, that's awful! Sounds like your dear puppy didn't miss anything...everything made it to her mouth!
I picked up some "Bitter Yuck" spray today. I tested it and it is yucky! I still have a little of the nasty taste in my mouth (no I didn't spray it in my mouth, got a small amount on the hand, waited for it to dry and had a small lick). I didn't ride today as we are nursing a leg injury, but I did try it on his lead. I have a rope halter/lead combo (no snap, just a knot). Where the knot is, he constantly tucks his head to grab and undo the tail end to suck on. The "Bitter Yuck" went on that tail and I can guarantee that he does not like it, the face he made was too funny! He won't be chewing on it again! I can't wait to try the reins!


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## laceyf53 (Oct 21, 2007)

Hmm.. my horse rides in a D ring snaffle and unless I'm leading him too far forward, the rein never rotated to the side where he can grab it. When I lunge him, I twist the reins several times so that they can't be reached by his mouth. I guess maybe because your reins are snap on that's why they can rotate to where he can reach them.


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## AKPaintLover (May 26, 2007)

I would give the bitter spray a try on things that are common targets for him, but it might just be that he is very mouthy/oral in his personality. It might also improve with each year that he ages and matures. My stallion is very into putting things in his mouth, but used to be much worse. He is six now, and pretty much only mouths on his lead rope when I step away from him when he is tied. He used to put all sorts of things in him mouth. I never encouraged him in mouthing things, but I did not reprimand him either. I simply took the items out of his mouth, and went on with my business. Now, I ocassionally give him my crop to hold in his mouth, which he mouths for a few seconds and then drops on the ground...

You could try to bitter up un-approved items, and then come up with an okay to mouth item that you carry and give him during the times when he is trying to mouth other things. Take away the no-no item, and put the okay one in his mouth.  No idea 

Honestly, if he is not hurting himself, and you get the things out of his mouth right away, I don't see it as a huge problem. If he does it in him pen, maybe get a couple of horse approved toys like the jolly ball, and maybe some sort of hanging lick for him.


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