Nipping and biting can become more serious behavioral problems if left alone.Biting can be a sign of irritation, lack of proper respect, or a more aggressive animal.In any of these cases, biting can be the sign of a more serious problem, one that will make your horse difficult to train for work or riding.You can train your horse to not bite by attacking many of the causes.
Step 1: Establish yourself as the leader.
Every herd of horses has an alpha stallion that the other horses don't bite.Your horse biting you may be a sign that he is in charge.It is a good idea to keep his head front and center when you are working with him.Use your hand to push it back where you need it to be if it starts to drift away from you.The pressure on his cheek or neck should point to where he wants his head to be.There are other ways to make sure your horse respects you.If he is not standing where you want him to be, push him back and watch the rest of his body.Don't let him wander off in directions other than the one you want him to go, if you are riding him.If he does that, you should lead him in your direction, not his.If he is a young colt, you will probably need to do these things several times for him to get the message.He will learn when you keep your responses consistent.
Step 2: Aggressive body language can be seen.
If a horse pins his ears back, it is a sign of aggression.You can see that he is nervous or uncomfortable with the pinned ears.If your horse looks aggressive or in a bad mood, you should step away so he doesn't have the chance to bite.There are a number of things that can cause aggression in horses.It's usually a sign of uneasiness, which comes from being in an unfamiliar location, meeting new people, or being bored.It is a good idea to remove your horse from a situation where he is acting aggressively.Try to keep his day busy and varied to prevent boredom and encourage good social behavior with other horses.
Step 3: Don't let your horse groom you.
He will try to groom you with his mouth when you brush or groom your horse.He doesn't need to reciprocate with you if he turns his head to you.If he turns his head toward you, use your hand to push him back, and stop brushing.
Step 4: Don't feed your horse.
Horses can't see in front of their mouths because of where their eyes are.They can use their teeth to get a feel for where they are.Your horse gets too comfortable with his mouth on or near your hands, making a bite too tempting.If someone doesn't give him the food he is expecting, he's more likely to become aggressive.If a lot of people interact with your horse and have been feeding him, have them stop immediately.You don't want the horse to associate hand-feeding with other people.He will be more likely to bite as he gets frustrated with people who don't feed him.They are being hand-fed by people who don't know what they're doing.If you are consistent with this new treatment, your horse will understand why he isn't being fed.
Step 5: hay should be left in the stable.
This helps teething horses because they always have something to chew on.They will gnaw on the wood in their stables if they don't have it.
Step 6: Look for signs of irritation.
Horses bite in order to express their irritation.You don't want a horse punished for expressing pain.Make sure your horse's equipment is put on correctly and keep an eye out for injuries.To make sure your horse's equipment fits, check it out.The saddle and bridle are examples of tack equipment that is susceptible to this.It will not feel right to the horse if it is tight or loose.Make sure your gear is clean and sturdy.This will make it less likely that you will have an accident from a broken tack.Check your horse's shoes as well.Make sure they are clean and fit correctly.If there is an issue, contact your farrier to have the shoes adjusted.Eye injuries are a problem for horses.If your horse is squinting or tearing up, you should check with your vet to see if it's a problem.
Step 7: The horse needs to be hit on the muzzle.
If your horse nips you, hit him with an open palm.This should be a quick hit.A big windup will confuse your horse.Adding a loud "Stop!" or "Knock it off!" will increase the shock for your horse.Adding language will help train the horse to stop biting without physical contact.You can have a rope nearby.Give the colt a rope if he starts nipping.He would get a similar response from the older horse's tail.If you don't want to hit the horse, you can use your thumb and forefinger to move his nose or neck.Give him an unpleasant shock that he won't want repeated.
Step 8: Good behavior will be rewarded.
You want your horse to know that doing the right thing will be rewarded.Give him a soft pat or rub on his shoulder if he follows your punishment by staying back or holding his head still.After punishing your horse, it's a good idea to give him a reward.This can help reestablish trust, and let him know that he is doing the right thing, that is standing still rather than trying to bite.
Step 9: Always respond quickly.
Make sure you respond immediately to a bite or attempted bite.The punishment is tied to the horse's biting.If you think he is going to bite you, act now.In your horse's life, this also means responding early.Young colts sometimes don't know better.If your horse nibbles you, respond as if it were a full bite.As your horse gets older, this can help prevent bad habits from getting worse.If you let your horse know what isn't appropriate, he can understand the right way to act.