Help with horse problems . . .?

Question

hi, my colt has begun trying to bite and kick people. he has not tried it on me yet but im wondering if anyone has any ideas on gentle punishment when he tries. he is 8 months old and so far has had little handling (just got him from knackery). does anyone know of effective ways to curb tis habbit other then giving him a smack which he will view as a game?

Answer 1

That depends on what these people are doing near him.

Are you going into his stall all paddock showing your new horse off to your friends ? because that would just annoy him and punishing him for that would be wrong. Plus, he's 8 months old which means he's at the childish playful age and he's just behaving like any kid would in that mental state.

If your are serious about wanting him to behave like a normal horse later on, don't treat him like a pet now. This will only spoil him and that will turn into habit which will be near impossible to break later on. I realize he's cute now but too much attention will just turn him into a monster and trainers do not like spoilt horses.

Be firm but fair..

Answer 2

Watch what the mares do to nippy colts. Gentle is not something they respect. If he nips pop him with the end of a lead or the back of an open hand, on the shoulder or nose. quick and sharp but not too hard. Enough to get him to back off. Only do it once and right as or just after he bites. This way he will respect you like he does his momma and her friends, make sure when he is gentle you handle his face and never pop him for any reason unless he is trying to hurt you. If he is drawing back his lips from the corner of his mouth he is telling you "I'm a baby don't hurt me" not trying to bite, you must learn to differentiate this behavior from baring his teeth to grab or bite. As for kicking, that requires you to always pay attention to where HE is placing his body in relation to you and never crowd his rear. To work him out of kicking get a friend to hold him in a halter, both of you on the same side. Just star rubbing all over him, all of his itchy spots so he enjoys it, slowly work towards his rear the moment he becomes uncomfortable go back to an itchy spot. Keep working towards his butt until he becomes comfortable with you petting all over it, especially beginning down the leg and around the tail head. When he is comfortable with people being near his rear he will be less likely to kick.  

Answer 3

We had two colts who were like that. We got them when they were 5 months old from a PMU center. But when they started to get used to people, they would nibble and bite. My mom actually got bitten by one so hard that she bit him back, and he never did it again. Your mouth gets hairy, but he never did it again. I thought it was mean, but he loves her now.

Answer 4

always carry a small crop and smack his shoulder. Don't hit his face, he'll be head shy and even more aggressive. Just give a gentle smack when he shows any aggression, and if he does actually bite or kick, smack pretty hard. Its the easiest way without being abusive, but until he gets the concept, you'll need to be cautious of kicking/biting zones!

Answer 5

Biting is common with colts. You should act like you are going to kill him for 3 seconds. Just 3 seconds and then go back to what you were doing. I do this with mouthy colts and it doesn't take long for them to get the message. It works and there is no physical contact with the horse.

Answer 6

it's common next time he does tap his nose little mild so he gets it.

Answer 7

in the school where I'm taking my instructor course, when a horse bites we usually hit them in the mouth but not with strenght! its only a way to scare them a bit! be carefull if he kicks! if u see that he is always trying to kick, remember never pass behind the horse! spend alot of time with the horse giving him cuddles in order to show him that people are his friends! as he grows up then he will stop trying to kick!

good luck and take care of your horse:)