I have a coming one year old stud colt that bites more than he likes to eat. I tried every trick pretty much trying to stop this. He is real quick, and using a solid piece of wood and when he comes at me, come up as hard as I can swing and hit the bony part between muzzle and jaw. Did this work? No.
I want to be able to walk around this colt in the field or lot, and not have to worry about him biting me in the back or head. I tried it all and it is still a game to him. If I hit him in the face, then he becomes so head shy when I try to catch him. That was a pain so I had to stop hitting his head. Sticking the sharp point of a stick in his muzzle, still just a game. He can grab a mouth full of grain, then turn around and bite me at the same time. But much worse when he is standing still. I can stop it when I have a lead rope and halter on him, but he still swings that head around once you stop the action going. Backing and keeping his feet moving, does not work with this one.
Then I read where someone would take a spray bottle of Listerine, the original yellow kind; and when he comes around to bite me, spray his nose. I thought this would be a gimmick, and did not try it at first, but then realized, that I had to try something else. To my surprise, in two days, he has not opened his mouth once. I never thought this would work as I have had him since him as 6 months old and he will be one year old May 23rd 2025. Went out to feed him and usually he tries to bite me coming in the gate. He did not even think about it when I opened the gate today. I work with him quite a bit and pick his feet, and rub every inch of his body and he does not care, but durning all of this training, it was a battle to keep him from biting. Never had a colt this bad and have had stud colt and a stallion before, and they did not act like this one.
Often I will take him beyond my fence, and I put a heavy duty lead rope that dangles down far, and adjust the lift pole on the tractor, to where he has lots of head movement. I put the tractor in low range which is a good walk, but not to fast and take him for a walk. I know this colt has the strength to pull away from me if I have hold of the lead, but, he cannot pull away from this tractor. I use a slip knot that he cannot reach as I run to the front of boom pole and thread it down the loop at the end. This way if something were to go wrong, I can just pull it. I do this because of the paved road I live on that the cars, trucks and semi's are not going to slow down for much. Never have understood that, as even for a dog or anything, and I am not going to take a chance of losing him to those that drive 65mph down a back road. So, I used a large inner tube the first two times I did this so it would not be such a dead stop on his neck when he decided not to go. He pulled on it hard two times, and now he knows we are going for a walk. But he soon learned that just walking with the tractor and we see farm equipment and irrigation equipment is not so scary now. Carry him on the edges of the crop where they leave a buffer along the ditches. I used to do this with Joe as well and he seemed to enjoy it. I would put a saddle on Joe and off we would go.. Always spray them down with fly spray as they cannot get to the flies and that bothers me as bad as it does the horse.
We find a shady spot and stop for a little bit and rest to let him know that it is not a punishment and rub his legs and body to show him all is cool. I have about a five round ride across the field, but I have not taken him that far yet. But it is coming......
I want to be able to walk around this colt in the field or lot, and not have to worry about him biting me in the back or head. I tried it all and it is still a game to him. If I hit him in the face, then he becomes so head shy when I try to catch him. That was a pain so I had to stop hitting his head. Sticking the sharp point of a stick in his muzzle, still just a game. He can grab a mouth full of grain, then turn around and bite me at the same time. But much worse when he is standing still. I can stop it when I have a lead rope and halter on him, but he still swings that head around once you stop the action going. Backing and keeping his feet moving, does not work with this one.
Then I read where someone would take a spray bottle of Listerine, the original yellow kind; and when he comes around to bite me, spray his nose. I thought this would be a gimmick, and did not try it at first, but then realized, that I had to try something else. To my surprise, in two days, he has not opened his mouth once. I never thought this would work as I have had him since him as 6 months old and he will be one year old May 23rd 2025. Went out to feed him and usually he tries to bite me coming in the gate. He did not even think about it when I opened the gate today. I work with him quite a bit and pick his feet, and rub every inch of his body and he does not care, but durning all of this training, it was a battle to keep him from biting. Never had a colt this bad and have had stud colt and a stallion before, and they did not act like this one.
Often I will take him beyond my fence, and I put a heavy duty lead rope that dangles down far, and adjust the lift pole on the tractor, to where he has lots of head movement. I put the tractor in low range which is a good walk, but not to fast and take him for a walk. I know this colt has the strength to pull away from me if I have hold of the lead, but, he cannot pull away from this tractor. I use a slip knot that he cannot reach as I run to the front of boom pole and thread it down the loop at the end. This way if something were to go wrong, I can just pull it. I do this because of the paved road I live on that the cars, trucks and semi's are not going to slow down for much. Never have understood that, as even for a dog or anything, and I am not going to take a chance of losing him to those that drive 65mph down a back road. So, I used a large inner tube the first two times I did this so it would not be such a dead stop on his neck when he decided not to go. He pulled on it hard two times, and now he knows we are going for a walk. But he soon learned that just walking with the tractor and we see farm equipment and irrigation equipment is not so scary now. Carry him on the edges of the crop where they leave a buffer along the ditches. I used to do this with Joe as well and he seemed to enjoy it. I would put a saddle on Joe and off we would go.. Always spray them down with fly spray as they cannot get to the flies and that bothers me as bad as it does the horse.
We find a shady spot and stop for a little bit and rest to let him know that it is not a punishment and rub his legs and body to show him all is cool. I have about a five round ride across the field, but I have not taken him that far yet. But it is coming......
