what do i do???

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mornin, yall... yesterday i had hitched my horse to the back porch post to brush and get him ready to saddle. while i was gettin my stuff, about four feet away from him, he started pawin the ground. i turned around and started talkin to him, tryin to figure out the problem, as he had never done this. he just got even more agitated and started dancin and liftin his head up and down. never kicked though. i thought maybe he didn't want to go ridin. wrong. there were gobs of fire ants all over his legs and i was too dumb to notice. i moved him, washed him down, and walked him a bit. then i brushed him after lettin him settle down. just as i was layin his saddle blanket on his back, he turned his head and bit me!!! in the belly!!! now, i'm only 5'2 and he's pretty big and my hands are busy on his back...what should i have done? he scared the s**t outa me. could he have thought i was the cause of the ants bitin him and so blamed me? what do i do now to get him to want to be with me again? please help. thanks, blind and dumb mell.......

 

[oscar p]

I personally would have whipped the fire out of him,I dont wont to sound rude but biting is a no no. Plus it hurts.I would have rode him anyway, Its not if he wants to be with me or not, its if I want to ride him or not. Try it again, but be watching him, if he turns his head toward you, to bite you or not slap him on the nose. Your the boss not him, Dont let him bluff you,

 

[Alan]

This is why I strongley believe in the saying "any horse any day". You never know with a horse, that is why you have to maintain a level of respect between you and the horse, meaning the horse has to respect you also as the herd leader, and never think about challanging you for the spot. Doesn't mean you guys can't love each other and share affection for each other.

I usally have the horse tied up in cross ties so they can't get their head around, if I tie to a tree or such they are still up close enough not to get their head around.

He may have been irratated at the bites or still itching, but no excuse for biting you (the alpha horse). I will let my horse turn and see what I'm doing, horses are very curious animals. But if they get too close I'll gently tap them with my "boney" elbow. If they swing their head around in a fast agressive motion they get more than a gentle tap. If a horse bites me in the pinching manner they immediatly get a smack to the mouth. While I seen it twice one has never biten me in the way it was planning on killing me. Your bite sounds like it was more of the "let's see if I can advance in the herd" type of bite.

If you discipline a horse it has to be within two or three seconds of the action. You can't get bit and stand there for a minute in pain then go over and kick your horse. The horse will not relate you kicking it to the bite. It has to be a immediate reaction to the action. As I stated in another post, If I get bit, I smack the horse immediately in the mouth or end of the nose, that's the area that did bad, that's the area that recieved the discomfort. Again if you get bit and wait long enough for the horse to turn it's head forward and even pick up a leg to rest then hit it, your horse may think it got hit for resting a leg.

Both of these two cases where while handling stallions, but any horse any day. When I was in my late teens I work in a large Arab barn. A young man was leading out a 7 yr old Stallion, as he did every morning for a couple of years. Without warning the horse turned on him and removed his right breast to the bone and part of his shoulder. The other case was a 4 yr old TB stud, a young girl, in her early 20's, had just finished round penning this horse. as she was putting on the halter the horse grabbed her by the upper arm and picked her off the ground then threw her to the ground at least three times before others by her could get to her. A biting horse is not cute and you have to always be the one in charge and make sure they don't get to cross the lines you make.

Any horse any day
Alan

 

[msscamp]

Alan has pretty much nailed it, but I would add a couple of cautions to what he has already posted:

1. Never hit a horse around the face with your palm. When he bites, backhand him. Otherwise you run the risk of making him headshy (so to speak), and when you try to pet him he may duck away as he doesn't know if you're going to pet or slap.

2. If he tries to bite again and you do have to backhand him, stay alert! Punishing him just might make him angry and he may try to bite again. I had a horse that was bad about biting. He would sometimes deliberately try to bite me when I disciplined him for biting. Good luck with your horse!

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

Alan has pretty much nailed it, but I would add a couple of cautions to what he has already posted:

1. Never hit a horse around the face with your palm. When he bites, backhand him. Otherwise you run the risk of making him headshy (so to speak), and when you try to pet him he may duck away as he doesn't know if you're going to pet or slap.

2. If he tries to bite again and you do have to backhand him, stay alert! Punishing him just might make him angry and he may try to bite again. I had a horse that was bad about biting. He would sometimes deliberately try to bite me when I disciplined him for biting. Good luck with your horse!

Great point msscamp.

I would have given him a bite back. Next time he does this grab his ear, twist it and bite down hard saddle him up and ride him. When a horse strikes you HAVE TO react with discipline almost without thinking and I mean in the next breath! I have been bit before and done this until I draw blood on the horse and that was the last time that horse bit. You have to be careful doing this and you have to know what you are doing! If you create a problem after doing this you have to know how to fix it. I just wouldn't go out there tonight and bite him and say "That was for the other day!" The horse will not know what you mean.

I may have got myself in a hole here. Some people may not agree with this type of disciplinary repercussion but that is how I train and I have had no permanent problems so far. I have made problems of my own before but sometimes you have to do something that will cause a problem but you have to know how to fix it. Example:

If a horse bites you bite back, I always grab a handful of ear this way the horse cannot move or get in a position to strike you twist the ear and bite! The horse may be a little head shy after that like when putting headstall on. You have to know how to solve the problem. Once the horses ear has healed and is not tender anymore start rubbing the horse on the neck slowly and very slowly move behind the ear and scratch softly move back down the neck slowly and move up the neck again to the ear and repeat this. It may sound simple but sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. It depends on the horse and the trainer.

I hope this helps and let us know how you and the horse are doing! :cboy:
Avery

 

[tapeworm]

Wilson cattle...I agree with you 110%!! But you probaly best be careful giving that advice. A lot of these flippflopp wearing new age horsemen weve got these days would gag and puke on horse ear. Probaly turn you in to the humane bunch to..but if you need to get a horses attention the ear is the place to go

 

[Alan]

Wilson cattle...I agree with you 110%!! But you probaly best be careful giving that advice. A lot of these flippflopp wearing new age horsemen weve got these days would gag and puke on horse ear. Probaly turn you in to the humane bunch to..but if you need to get a horses attention the ear is the place to go

Come Tapeworm, are you trying to convience me you're not with P.E.T.A.? I think under it all, you're a card carrying member.

Alan

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

lol PETA? they are a bunch of puss***! I do agree SOME of their views but they tend to go a little over board. Dont get me wrong I love animals

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

not to be confused with rodents!

p.s.

I dont like flipflops! hate m!

My redwings will do me fine. Or Justins.