# Stop Nipping! (long, sorry)



## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Ok... Some may remember me saying about horses in the field near me...
Well the nasty shetland's moved out about 3 weeks ago and the field stayed empty until the early hours of this morning when a skewbald cob arrived. 

Now... any horse bought by this horrible man, is kept for as little cost as possible and pretty much ignored until time to sell on again... Usually to.. well, I don't really want to say, but it's not nice.
Unless- by some miracle, someone wants to but the horse enough to haggle with the mans ridiculously high price. Then the horse get a nice life.


Because I know what awful fate they will come to, I like to make their last few weeks or months as nice as I can, usually by just going and spending time with them, and occasionally giving apples/carrots/horse treats etc.

Now I have found out that the first horse has actually gone to a spoilt kid who wanted a pony, and she was a friendly horse and the parents bought her.

This horse I doubt will be so lucky. He bites! 

So I don't want to be giving him treats because that will make him associate hands with food, right?
So I just stood by his gate talking to him tonight. I can stroke the end of his nose, gently, with one finger. But sometimes he just lifts his top lip up.
I cannot stroke behind his ears.. which I thought most horses liked?

Anyway.. has anyone got any tips how I can stop him trying to bite me when I just want to be nice to him? He is Really hand shy, if you move to quick he throws his head up. If you try stroke his ears he turns to bite..


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## emmalouise1508 (Aug 23, 2009)

It may be that he's unsettled after his move and most probably has a troubled past if he's head-shy.

I don't know what to suggest since the horse isn't actually yours. Combatting problems like being headshy and biting takes a lot of one-to-one work and patience including things like ground work to build up the bond and trust between horse and human.

Usually I would suggest to show your dominance by lifting your arms up over your head and making a loud noise and forcing him backwards.. but given the fact that he is already headshy and is unsettled, I'm not sure that would help your situation.

Truthfully, I would still visit him and give him treats from the ground (you're right that feeding him with your hand would encourage nipping), but I wouldn't work with him too much if he's not yours, it wouldn't work given your situation.

Sounds like a horrible situation though, are they treated fairly?


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## Katie&Cody (Dec 4, 2008)

_I agree with above, maybe seeing you everyday with the odd treat will be enough to make him bond with you?!? Hopefully.

That man sounds awful!!

Well done you for taking the time out to go and give the horse love!! It's lovely to hear!! xx_


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

They're not treated as well as you or I would treat a horse. But they're not abused or neglected.

It was upsetting that me and next door spent so much time looking after the first horse who we nicknamed Biscuit, and she just dissaperad we feared the worst. But just knowing that there was someone there who cared for her and was nice to her made us feel better.

The shetlands that were in the field were nasty and not friendly at all.

Cookie (we have nicknamed him) although he is headshy, he is a peoples boy. He comes straight to the fence at the cluck of your tongue.
I think he just needs to learn we are not going to hurt him.

Next doors mum hasn't met him yet. Who knows, if we get to know him, she may try and put in an offer.

x


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## Zayna (Apr 19, 2009)

He obviously doesnt like having his head touched... have you tried stroking or scratching his shoulder or the top of his withers? Most horses like that. Once he learns to trust you touching his shoulder you can move up to his head. if he bites you when you are stroking him flick him on the nose as soon as he does it and saying loudly NO. I did this to my filly when she went through a nipping stage and it quickly broke her out of the habit. Obviously its a bit different for me because my filly was very used to me and obviously this horse doesnt know you. you can but try!

good luck!:smilewinkgrin:


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## Tip2toe (Jun 22, 2008)

I've got a tip.Try scratching near the shoulder because horses groom each other there.If he trys to bite withdraw and then try it again.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Well... by chopping carrots and apples up for him and putting on the ground we got him use to us touching the neck and he was fine with that.
But today he was gone, so we shall see what we have next.. 

x


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## JSR (Jan 2, 2009)

Poor thing, lets just hope he's gone to a better home.

In the future if you get another one that bites, don't flick or tap them on the nose or anywhere on the face as this will only reinforce them being head shy. A good tip we use with the babies who like to nibble is to push them away on their shoulder or neck, then send him away from you. He'll soon learn as this is the way he'd be told by his herd members that the behaviour is unacceptable.


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## Cascara (Jul 27, 2009)

From a horse owner's point of view I would be mortified if someone started feeding my horses treats over the fence. Far too often people do try and feed them because they think they know better than us as to what the horse needs are, or why they are in the state they in. 

We never feed horse treats as they can lead to nipping and bolshy expectations when no more treats are forthcoming. Many people think that grass clippings and old vegetables are good for horses, but they really aren't and imagine if every school girl that passes by feeds some polos and an apple, very soon colic or laminitis results.

We had to double fence the fields that the public could access, to stop people feeding and trying to stroke or tame some of our wilder residents.

There may be two stories to this man and these horses, have you asked? and there is a fate far worse than a quick bullet at the slaughterhouse too.


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks JSR 


I wouldn't go and feed a proper horse owner's horse treats over the fence. There are 2 other horses in the village and they get a stroke on the nose if they come to the gate.

But this guy is definitely not a proper horse owner. He ships the horses off to france, he has horses in fields all over near us. The shetlands (if they are not crosses) he sells for mega money. he picks up all these horses at gypsy fairs etc.

I found out today that he also owns the 2 donkeys in the village who have been in the same field for 3 years, the male died, the mum is skinny and the baby had a sore on his face.
The owners of the field want to sell it, but if they ring the guy, (every single time) his wife tells them he is on holiday!

Last year there was a young horse put in the field and it got so cold the poor thing died! The sspca was called before it died but at that time the ''shelter'' was still there and there was grass and water so they did nothing. Then it died in the night and all that happened was it got removed then a week later another horse appeared!

The guy never bothers to fix the fence or change the water- there is a lorry yard behind and they often change the water. We fixed the fence today as the owner of the field says we can use it for the dogs as long as we pick up the poop and obviously as long as there is no horse. I forgot to ask if the guy actually pays rent- but he doesnt for the donkey field!

There is no way the stuff about this guy is made up, there are alot of people who ''know'' him and what he does, and all the men in the lorry yard remember that poor horse last year. There is nothing anyone can do but keep a look out for the horses well-being and making them a little happier.


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