AboutChristine Dickinson Expertise can answer questions on training and showing, ring craft, english style riding, and dress for the sho ring
Experience been riding since I was 2 years old, qualified as an instructor more years ago than I care to remember and has owned ponies and horses all my life, shown and won extensively
Question Hi Christine,
Well it finally happened. I have been nipped by a horse! I was putting her saddle on the other night and I went to complete the first cinch, and she turned her head, pinned her ears and nipped me on the arm. Not hard, but she did it just the same. She can be a little cinchy at times and I have to be careful when cinching her up. I think I went too fast and may have pinched her, so I will give her the benefit of the doubt. She has never done this before and has only pinned her ears twice since I have had her. The first time was because her saddle pad was pinching her. I use another pad now and she is fine.
Here's my question: When she did this, I grabbed her lip and pinched it, and I did it immediately. I also said "Ah Ah" and she KNEW she was in trouble. She stepped back and threw her head in the air. (I don't think she liked her lip pinched!) I lunged her then rode her and she was fine. No behavior problems while in saddle.
Is this an OK method to let her know she isn't allowed to do this? Is there something else I should maybe try if she does it again? I rode her the next day and was very slow with the cinch. I went through my normal "three-step cinch" process and she was Ok. I know I am to blame for almost everything she does wrong, but I will not tolerate biting. Has this ever happened to you????
Answer Oh yes it has happened to me more than once!
What you did was fine, you didn't smack her, you didn't whip her, you showed her that the behaviour was not accpetable and best of all you did it quickly! Although a quick smack on the end of her nose would have been just as effective.......and you backed it up with a vocal sound as well. Sometimes its not the punishemtn but the tome of voice that goes with it.
If Bambi had done that in a herd situation then the matriarch mare would have bitten her back as a punishment...... don't do that one a mouthful of horse hair does nothing to the appetite!
What I do with my mare is when doing up the saddle, and she turns towards me (she still would give me a nip if she could) I tend to just put up my hand and turn her head away gently and tell her 'no biting today' in a firm bur low voice, no shouting, just low and firm it does work most the time, but then she gets a sneaky one in now and again........ what you did was fine and if it stopped her from trying again that works............ if she has another go then a quick short tap on her nose or pinch her lip-, she will think twice about doing it. Horses like anything else human or animal have to be given boundaries, and Bambi has them but she crossed the line, hopefully she learned her lesson about it and that should stop her there.
