How to Stop Horses that Bite - Natural Solutions to Prevent Biting

What is Horse Biting?

Horses that like to bite must be taught immediately that this is bad and unacceptable behavior. A horse that bites humans is extremely dangerous and can cause great harm.

What Causes Horse Biting?

There are several reasons why a horse may bite, and it is often important for owners to understand this type of inappropriate behavior to reach a solution. Horses bite, nip or become very mouthy when they are hand fed treats or food. They should be trained to stand still and then they will be given the treat. If the horse cannot learn this, place the treat on the ground for him to eat.

Young horses can also be quite nippy and often clack their teeth when they want to introduce themselves. When they clack their teeth, it is socially accepted behavior amongst horses to test who is dominant in the herd.

Very often when foals are being groomed, they often want to return the favor with a playful nip. Reassure the young horse and groom him well by speaking gently and massaging his hide until he starts to enjoy it. Some horses may bite out of fear, discomfort or aggression because they may not like what their handler is doing to them. Consult a professional trainer to deal with this problem.

Help for Horse Biting

Keep in mind that as the horse owner or handler, you need to be consistent, confident and calm with the horse. Reinforcement is key, and the more you practice stopping the biting, the more results you will see. Develop a good relationship with the horse and establish ground rules from the beginning – let him that you are the boss.

Learn his body language – what might cause him to panic, become fearful or bite and employ positive techniques to deal with the various types of behavior and effectively stop a horse from biting. Above all, do not cause your horse physical pain by hitting or beating him unnecessarily.

Natural Remedies

Natural and holistic treatments have proven to be highly effective in calming and soothing aggressive behavior such as biting in animals, including to help prevent horses from biting. Homeopathic remedies are a gentle alternative to conventional medications and are safe to use for horse breeds of all ages. Carefully selected ingredients such as Chamomilla, Kali phos, Cina, Phosphorus and Asarum supports and maintains nervous system functioning while also calming aggressive horses.

More Information on Horse Biting

Tips to prevent horse biting

There are several ways to prevent horse biting and these include:

Teach your horse not to bite from an early age
Develop a good relationship with your horse – let him know that you are the leader and that he is the follower
If you have a foal that like to bites, massage or rub his nose or lips firmly until he looks away from you
Avoid disciplining a biting horse by hitting or smacking him
If your horse bites you, make him work as a form of discipline. Lead him into a round pen and lunge him, then make him run and turn to the other direction a few times so that he knows that you are the one in control. This will teach him that biting will result in punishment from his owner.
Speak in a stern but firm voice if your horse bites or nips – let him know that you are the one in control
If your horse tries to bite you when you turn away, use a rope to strike him across his body
Never hand-feed your horse—instead, place treats on the ground
If your horse or foal likes to nip during grooming, teach him to accept grooming by reassuring him, and massage his hide until he starts to enjoy it. In this way, the horse will learn if he stands square he will receive enjoyment
Take note of your horse’s body language, such if he is pinning his ears, which means that he wants to bite you
If biting gets out of control, enlist the help of a professional trainer

Information on how to teach horses not to bite and natural solutions to stop biting problems.