My Arab is bitting my feet! HELP!!!

Question

I have an 11 yr old Arabian gelding and recently when I've been going on trails with him, he stops in the middle of the trail and reaches back to bight at the rubber part of my boots! I've checked his tack a thousand times (i thought something was maybe pinching him) but then yesterday when I rode him bareback he was still doing it.... He also tried to do it when I was on the ground grooming him!

A trainer said that it's affectionate but idk.... Anyone else have any idea why he's doing this?????????

Answer 1

My trainer thinks that this is the universal horse signal for 'are we done yet?' My warmblood does it too when we've been working hard or for a long time. I let him put his head near my foot, bit I don't let him bite me. If he tries, his nose will have a firm encounter with my boot. (Not damaging - just enough to let him know that is not acceptable.)

Answer 2

It's hard to know for sure.  My gelding will do little grooming type bites...like when they try to pick out debris with their teeth...to goats and dogs, etc.  It is affectionate when he does that.  But when it's your toe while riding, it could be to protest pressure from your legs, which could be both when he is saddled or when you ride bareback.

Answer 3

haha he is probably just playing/mucking around. My horse has an obsession with boots and grabs my boot tags with his teeth and pulls my boot trying to get it i off lol =P

Answer 4

I'm not sure but it could be him showin his affection cause i have a tennesse walker who does the same....only she just looks back and doesn't bite. Shes really sweet so im hoping it is affection and not thats shes lookin back cause im doin somethin wrong. :)

Answer 5

smack him if its bothering you that much

or just move your feet out of the way

if he hits his head he'll eventually find out its not fun

Answer 6

my horse used to do that when i would ask her to lope or just go to a faster gait she would stop completely and turn and bite my foot. she did this more when we were getting her used to spurs she would slam on the brakes and turn and bite my foot, and when we would spur her forward she would back up, usually spurs make em go faster.. not with my horse. she has gotten over it now, she no longer turns to bite my feet.

she did this just to be a brat. why your horse is doing it i don't know.

Answer 7

it is affectionate unless he is REALLY chomping down. my mare one time did that to my head... literally. i was sitting down in front of her after the farrier was out and my mom and i were talking to christie [the farrier] and christie was scratching bree [my mare] and bree reached down and started l*****g my head and then she was rub my head with her teeth... it made a mess of my hair but it was affectionate.. she was grooming me.. and thats just want they do. he probably thinks he is grooming/scratching you.. or getting flies away.

Answer 8

I hate arabs there stubborn....QH are the way to go

Answer 9

its the horses way of being affectiante.