How to Stop a Horse From Biting (Nipping It in the Bud)
2. Never Tolerate Biting
Under no circumstances should you tolerate a horse biting or nipping at any human any more than you would a dog. Any attempt to bite you—even if it's only an attempt, seems playful, or doesn't really hurt—should be immediately corrected. Don't dismiss it as only a nip. Biting is never allowed under any circumstances.
Violence should never be used with an animal. Discuss an appropriate response to biting with your vet or a professional horse trainer or behaviorist, and then use it consistently.
3. Look for the Cause
Horses bite for a reason.
- Sometimes, a horse may bite because you didn't give it a treat (I have seen this far too often).
- However, the horse might be in pain. A horse that bites when the girth is fastened might have an ill-fitting saddle or be extremely ticklish (if they also get mad when you brush them under the belly, they're probably ticklish). A change of girth might be very helpful in this case.
- Some mares get very snippish when in heat.
- Flies can cause nipping, sometimes even by accident, when you get between the horse's head and the fly on its flank.
Finding out why the horse is trying to bite you and dealing with the cause can help keep a horse from becoming a chronic biter.
How to Feed a Horse by Hand Without Getting Bitten
Hand-feeding a horse a treat is commonly done by most horse owners. However, I do not recommend hand-feeding a horse that has a history of biting. Children under the age of six or seven should not be allowed to hand-feed horses.
When you do hand-feed, always place the treat on the palm of your hand, then hold your hand out under the horse's muzzle with your hand completely flat and your fingers pointing towards the horse's chin (not to the side). In this position, it is literally impossible for a horse to bite accidentally.
Do not hand-feed a horse that is prone to trying to snatch treats from hands or pockets, and always discourage this behavior. Searching your pockets may be cute, but some horses will nip when they don't find anything.
