Posts Tagged ‘dominance’

If there is one thing that horse owners fear on the ground-it’s getting kicked. And with good reason. If you get kicked by a horse you risk getting seriously injured and even killed.

So why do horses kick? Like a lot of issues involving bad horse behavior, the answer comes down to one of two things. Either the horse kicks out of fear-or he kicks out of dominance.

The good news is that horse kicking can be controlled or even eliminated without smacking the horse or even focusing on kicking at all. Instead, you can deal with the problem by building leadership, trust, and respect. How do you do this? Simple-with proper ground training.

Good ground training will eliminate horse kicking because a horse that knows he can trust you is a horse that won’t fear you. When the horse isn’t afraid generally, he isn’t going to fear having his feet handled or fear having you behind him. Conversely, a horse that sees you as his respected leader is not going to try and dominate you. So let’s explore a few ways that we can build leadership, trust and respect with ground horse training, with the goal of eliminating horse kicking in the back of our minds.

Often, eliminating fear and dominance go hand in hand. So you don’t have to focus on what “type” of horse you have too much when applying general principles of horsemanship. First off, what do dominant horses do with the other members of the herd? Well, they herd them around! This simple fact-and keep in mind this is something a horse intuitively understands-is something we can use to our advantage to train our horses gently without using any kind of force. All we have to do is move our horses around. When you do that, your horse will instinctively see you as a leader. Horse kicking will be unlikely in that case because a horse doesn’t kick his leader.

We can make a horse move forward, backward, to the side, or in a circle. OK here are a few basic things we can do:

• Ask your horse to go backwards.
• As your horse to move his forehand.
• Ask your horse to move his hindquarters.
• Circle or lunge your horse.
• Circle or lunge at liberty in the round pen.

By doing these groundwork exercises we teach the horse to view us as a respected leader. This is because we are tapping into his built-in instinct to see those who make him move as his leader. In fact, working your horse at liberty at the round pen may be one of the most important exercises you can use to do this. That’s because you control three things:

• When the horse moves and when he can come to rest.
• How fast he goes.
• What direction he goes.

Round pen work is also safe. By doing these three things, you establish yourself as a leader because your horse will know automatically you’re his leader because you’re controlling his movement. That’s what the trick really is-control the movement of the horse at all times. Then he will see you as his respected leader.

Next time your horse kicks-instead of giving into your impulse to smack him-try asking him (firmly) for a backup instead. By asking him to move off, you build leadership and respect-so reduce the chance of a horse kicking in the future.

David McMahon is a free lance author who owns 3 horses and writes about horse training issues. For more information please visit Mastering Basic Groundwork (Horse Training) [http://nmhorse.com/Basic_Groundwork.html].

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Your horse runs over you or crowds you. He bites. Or maybe balks, bucks, or tosses his head. He won’t take the bridle, and he rears, runs away and bolts.

If any of these describe your horse, then you’re dealing with bad horse behavior. While each of these problems can have their own specific solutions, it turns out that by applying some very general but effective horse training principles, we can go a long way toward eliminating all of these problems.

When it comes to horse behavior, many problems can be reduced to one of two issues with the horse. If a horse is acting badly he is either:

1. Afraid (acting out of fear)
2. Dominant (acting in a way that disrespects you)

We can get around both problems by being an effective leader for our horse. If we are a strong and effective yet compassionate leader, our horse will not be afraid because he knows he can trust us. And if we are a strong and effective leader, a dominance-minded horse won’t be naughty with us. This can be done with proper ground training.

These days there are a myriad of ground training techniques. But its possible to identify a few key items you should be using on every horse that will help establish leadership. Here are five key methods that produce all around general results regardless of the type or horse you have or his disposition, or what type of “bad horse behavior” he is showing:

1. Lead your horse properly. When leading a horse on the ground, you’re not just walking from place to place-you’re using body language to communicate with your horse on multiple levels. By leading him properly, we can show the horse that we are a confident leader to be trusted-and someone that he must follow. A confident leader is one worthy of being followed-this helps build confidence in the horse that is afraid and shows a dominant horse that he is not the leader-you are.
2. At-Liberty Round-Pen Training. A great way to become a leader for your horse is to utilize at-liberty training in the round pen. By mimicking the behavior of the dominant horse in the herd, we can establish leadership in a way that not only speaks to the horse in a way he naturally understands, but in a way that gets rid of many problems like crowding, balking, being hard to catch, kicking, and biting.
3. Back Your Horse Up. Yes, backing up is a simple exercise, but it can be made challenging as well as basic. Not only that, its a sure fire way to build up trust with your horse, and to also show leadership by asking him to walk backwards where he can’t see.
4. Flexing. By practicing flexing on the ground, you train your horse to respond lightly to the reins and teach him how to respond to an emergency stop.
5. Get and Keep the Attention of Your Horse. If you’re the trusted leader of your horse-he is going to pay attention to you at all times. Simple exercises can be performed with your horse during groundwork training that make this automatic.

Building a solid horse training foundation with groundwork will allow you to eliminate fear, and prevent a horse from dominating you. by putting in some extra effort now, you can have a sfae and fun riding experience later.

David McMahon is a free lance author who owns 3 horses and writes about horse training issues. For more information please visit Mastering Basic Groundwork (Horse Training) [http://nmhorse.com/Basic_Groundwork.html].

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Your horse runs over you or crowds you. He bites. Or maybe balks, bucks, or tosses his head. He won’t take the bridle, and he rears, runs away and bolts.

If any of these describe your horse, then you’re dealing with bad horse behavior. While each of these problems can have their own specific solutions, it turns out that by applying some very general but effective horse training principles, we can go a long way toward eliminating all of these problems.

When it comes to horse behavior, many problems can be reduced to one of two issues with the horse. If a horse is acting badly he is either:

1. Afraid (acting out of fear)
2. Dominant (acting in a way that disrespects you)

We can get around both problems by being an effective leader for our horse. If we are a strong and effective yet compassionate leader, our horse will not be afraid because he knows he can trust us. And if we are a strong and effective leader, a dominance-minded horse won’t be naughty with us. This can be done with proper ground training.

These days there are a myriad of ground training techniques. But its possible to identify a few key items you should be using on every horse that will help establish leadership. Here are five key methods that produce all around general results regardless of the type or horse you have or his disposition, or what type of “bad horse behavior” he is showing:

1. Lead your horse properly. When leading a horse on the ground, you’re not just walking from place to place-you’re using body language to communicate with your horse on multiple levels. By leading him properly, we can show the horse that we are a confident leader to be trusted-and someone that he must follow. A confident leader is one worthy of being followed-this helps build confidence in the horse that is afraid and shows a dominant horse that he is not the leader-you are.
2. At-Liberty Round-Pen Training. A great way to become a leader for your horse is to utilize at-liberty training in the round pen. By mimicking the behavior of the dominant horse in the herd, we can establish leadership in a way that not only speaks to the horse in a way he naturally understands, but in a way that gets rid of many problems like crowding, balking, being hard to catch, kicking, and biting.
3. Back Your Horse Up. Yes, backing up is a simple exercise, but it can be made challenging as well as basic. Not only that, its a sure fire way to build up trust with your horse, and to also show leadership by asking him to walk backwards where he can’t see.
4. Flexing. By practicing flexing on the ground, you train your horse to respond lightly to the reins and teach him how to respond to an emergency stop.
5. Get and Keep the Attention of Your Horse. If you’re the trusted leader of your horse-he is going to pay attention to you at all times. Simple exercises can be performed with your horse during groundwork training that make this automatic.

Building a solid horse training foundation with groundwork will allow you to eliminate fear, and prevent a horse from dominating you. by putting in some extra effort now, you can have a sfae and fun riding experience later.

David McMahon is a free lance author who owns 3 horses and writes about horse training issues. For more information please visit Mastering Basic Groundwork (Horse Training) [http://nmhorse.com/Basic_Groundwork.html].

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Training a horse for good ground manners starts as soon as you enter the stall or field. When you effectively use your vocal and body cues, you are speaking their language. Ineffectively using your cues when trying to catch your horse in the field can cause your horse to run from you. Believe me, it’s not easy to catch a horse that doesn’t want to be caught. They seem to run in circles around you, teasing you. Ineffective use of your cues would include either sneaking up on your horse from behind, or walking directly at their head.

To effectively communicate with your horse, approach them from the side. Make your presence known; talk to, whistle, or cluck to your horse. Walk towards them with your hand outstretched. This gives a horse that is unfamiliar with you the reassurance that they can be comfortable with you. This is how you should approach every horse in the field, no matter how familiar you are with them. If you disregard these methods, you can startle your horse and cause it to run, potentially teaching a very bad habit.

For a green horse or a horse that has formed the habit of running when approached, there are other pointers for when teaching good field manners. When you are approaching the horse, don’t look them in the eye. As with any animal, eye contact is meant to infer dominance. Since horses are a prey animal, if they feel like something or someone is trying to dominate them, they will run. Minimizing eye contact is less threatening to your horse. You may also hide the halter and lead rope behind your back. Horses are smart, and some will associate the halter and lead rope with being ridden. Treats and food can be used to lure your horse if worse comes to worst. However, using food or treats in training a horse should be limited to desperate situations, not every time.

When a horse is consistently difficult to catch, use the previous methods to catch your horse, but occasionally just halter your horse, give them a treat, and take the halter back off. This way, your horse will not assume that they are going to have to work every single time you enter the field. As much as a horse may love being ridden, they have their lazy days as well.

Training a horse for good ground manners extend far beyond the field. Some horses, when standing in the cross ties, will stomp and sway from side to side. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn’t mean your horse is being bad. They could be nervous or anxious. Unless he is pulling hard against the cross ties, it’s more of a nuisance than a threat. Some horses do it constantly. To be honest, there is no easy fix for this.

Consistency (not taking them out of the cross ties because they are handling them badly), a stern voice, and a swat on the rump (with your hand only) can help your horse learn that the cross ties are not such a bad thing. They will typically calm down if you groom them while in the cross ties, since it’s relaxing to them. If your horse respects and listens to you in other settings, you have a better chance of helping them handle the cross ties well.

Katie Olson is an accomplished equestrian in the Hunter/Jumper discipline, and she is an experienced horse trainer. She has ridden and/or trained several horses over her eleven-year career as a passionate rider. For more information about training a horse and to become part of our new online community of horse lovers visit Training A Horse. Ground Manners.

Author: Katie Olson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

Pat Parelli was able to develop a school of thought on the way to handle horses. It is a dead ringer for reverse psychology. In this horse training method, the horses will go the other route of your commands. In the natural setting, horses are considered preys while the humans are the predators. This fact was utilized by Parelli in developing his horse training method.

If you to make use of this technique, you will need to train your horse to go the other route. Horses fear humans. You should be able to teach your horse to have faith you. It can be hard to teach a horse to believe humans but if you can place the system to work, your horse will certainly come whinnying and flying towards you.

Equine enthusiasts can use this method irrespective of their riding stage. You can study many ideas and training systems beneficial for horse training through the Parelli method. However, the method does not provide a step-by-step guide. Have you seen how Parelli calmed a mustang irrespective of of the group around him; not simply that, he was able to ride the horse without a bridle. Many spectators feel that Parelli hypnotized the horse and only a couple of individuals have that effect on horses.

The Parelli method follows concepts and philosophies that are primarily established on leadership, respect, bond, and trust between a person and his horse.

Horsemen have a great amount of options when it relates to horse training systems. The Parelli method is just one of them. You can visit their internet site to learn more about them. By studying this technique, you can achieve success without exerting any force; partnership with your horse without dominance; willingness without intimidating your horse; teamwork by taking away fear; and harmony without cruelty or coercion.

This method was developed in 1981. It is basically a mixture of communication, good sense, and psychology. Horses also possess the necessary skills as a way to relate with other horses and to thrive. Adding the human factor complicates things and so humans need to be taught on the way to handle horses the right way.

When training a horse, you should not focus solely on the animal. You should also study the facts about your personal details, about proper conversation, truthfulness, leadership, responsibility, and consequences. Aside from that, you should likewise use imagination and love. You can learn all these things from your horse.

Have you found out about horsenality’? Extrovert horses act without thinking; these are viewed wild horses. When they sense danger, fear sets in and they immediately take flight. These horses are unconfident and dangerous. If you’re handling RB or extrovert horses, you need to assist them in building self assurance; don’t push them to the limit of their confidence. Changes easily scare these horses so training involves repetitions.

If you can make your horse certain, it can discover better because fear does not set in. As a trainer, you must be quick, energetic, and excitable. Frantic patterns exhibited by the horse should be interrupted and you ought to constructively redirect their energy. By doing so, the horse can focus attention and become calmer. The introvert horses are easier to deal with but you still need to learn the correct methods to use.

The Parelli technique of horse training is gaining much popularity these days. If other horse training methods didn’t be employed by you and your horse, why do not you attempt to do this new method?

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Author: Wyatt Pickett
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Horse biting is a serious problem for the horse owner. It can cause a major bruise or even broken bones. Dealing with the problem in the heat of the moment often results in a smack to the horse, but surprisingly that’s unlikely to solve it. So, why do horses bite and what can we do about it? What we’ll find out is that the reason the horse bites really doesn’t matter.

1. Understand why horses bite

The fact is biting is completely natural for horses, for a lot of reasons. Horses use biting for play, as a defense mechanism, or for dominance. They bite amongst each other and if you’re not the “alpha” of your herd they may be prone to bite you too.

The bottom line is a horse may bite out of fear or lack of trust, because of past abuse by humans (making him feel threatened in certain circumstances) or out of simple disrespect. A lack of confidence by the handler that horses pick up in body language can also make biting more likely.

2. Maintain personal space

One of the most fundamental things you can teach your horse on the ground is maintaining personal space. Imagine a bubble around your body that the horse is not allowed to enter. Then follow a simple rule- you can enter the personal space of the horse, but he can never enter yours. This simple rule is part of establishing leadership with your horse, as the alpha you’re entitled to it. But it’s more than just a part of horse training for leadership, maintaining some personal space is necessary for basic safety. If a horse is too close he can knock you down on the ground, trample you, or of course he can bite you. All of these things are less likely if the horse always maintains a few feet of distance.

Teach the horse to stay out your personal space by backing him up and using proper leading techniques. Don’t hold the lead rope right up next to the halter, hold it a couple of feet down. Make sure your horse doesn’t walk out in front of you or go past you when you stop. Back him up every time he gets within your personal bubble. By maintaining a bit of personal space, we make it less likely the horse can strike out and bite.

3. Punishment only works over the short term

If you get bit by a horse you might have an impulse to smack him. And the truth is, there might be certain emergency situations where you’ll have to, like if he’s biting down hard on a finger. But punishment should be avoided if possible. Smacking a horse isn’t going to teach him to stop biting for a few reasons. First of all, many horses, especially young horses, bite as part of the games they play among each other. Smacking a horse biting in this context can backfire. The horse will play harder and may engage in a game of trying to dodge your smacks and sneak in a bite. Smacking a defiant horse is likely to make him more aggressive.

4. Don’t over-feed treats

Believe it or not over-feeding treats can create biting horses. Prey animals aren’t motivated by food the same way dogs are, and continuously feeding a horse treats will make him pushy and demanding. There is a time for treats, but use them sparingly and don’t try to use treats to shape behavior.

5. Establish leadership

Dealing with the biting horse comes down to establishing leadership and earning respect. Alpha horses don’t get bit by the other horses. Your role as a horse owner is to establish yourself as the alpha in your herd. This is a permanent way to fix the biting horse. If he truly sees you as the confident alpha, he won’t bite you, regardless of the reason he would try to otherwise.

If you have a biting horse then its time to get back to basics with your training. The first step is to include a few sessions in the round pen. At liberty round pen training is one of the best ways to establish leadership, earn respect, and build trust with a horse. Often this may be all that’s needed to start eliminating biting problems.

Leading a horse-done properly-is also another important exercise to earn respect. Work in a few training sessions where you actually walk backwards away from your horse. This has a powerful effect on the mind and emotions of the horse, because she’ll see that you’re always out in front of her. Walk backwards and occasionally ask for stops by raising both hands and exhaling. Look to see how she is paying attention. If both eyes aren’t focused on you, then she isn’t being attentive. Bump the rope to bring both eyes on you. Also work on leading from the mid-section or hip, which is more properly called “driving”. Driving a horse is a more dominant activity and will help you get in a position where the horse respects you-so is less likely to bite.

Finally, it’s a good idea to spend more time lunging, working on having the horse change speed and direction on command. The idea is to get the horse listening to your commands. This helps establish your “authority” as the alpha of the herd.

David McMahon is a freelance author and horse owner. He invites you to visit http://horse-training-tips.com where you can learn more about the biting horse.

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

While watching horses play with each other, you’ll notice they do things like push their bodies, rear up, strike and kick, and BITE. Of course it’s all in fun and grabbing a bit of skin in their teeth is no big deal, unless the recipient is a human. It hurts !A horse that wants to bite you is usually expressing his desire to play, but he doesn’t know that human skin is not quite as tough as a horse’s. On one hand it’s a compliment that your horse wants to play with you, on the other hand, it’s a clear sign that he doesn’t see you as the alpha.

Horses Never Bite Their Alpha !

Do you know how to recognise the alpha in a herd?

He or she is the one without the bite marks ! Horse’s don’t bite their alpha. In the game of dominance, those who ‘bite best’ win. When horses play and nip each other they are basically developing their dominance skills and rehearsing takeover strategies.

People Turn Playful Horses Into More Aggressive Biters

Most people smack a horse for biting, which doesn’t work because prey animals don’t understand punishment. They think you are biting back and now the interchange becomes all about who will ‘win’ the dominance game. In horse land the bravest, smartest and quickest horse wins. The alpha horse is calm, self confident and totally unemotional. He’s also ready to do whatever it takes to maintain the alpha position. So when a horse goes to bite and you try to smack him, the horse just gets better at the game, he gets quicker at taking a nip and dodging the slap.

As time goes on the nip turns into bites because the horse gets more serious about dominating you. Also, when a horse can evoke an emotional reaction from you, surprise, anger, fear, he knows you have no chance of being alpha. You obviously aren’t calm, smart or brave enough !

Prevention Is Better Then Cure

What does Pat Parelli do when he gets bitten ?

“I say “ow” and rub it until it stops hurting ! What else are you going to do? Slapping the horse doesn’t work and it definitely doesn’t improve the relationship. If you got bitten it’s your fault for not thinking, being and behaving more like a horse!

Satisfy The Play Game

Many biters live in very restrictive environments, like stables and pens, and are isolated from other horses. Of course they’re going to feel pent up and lonely as their need for social interaction increases. The you may be all they have!

The Parelli Seven Games teach you how to interact with your horse in a constructive and playful way and at the same time allow you to exert your leadership in ways that horses understand. Dominant horses move other horses around and that’s what the Seven Games teach you do to.

The game is “who moves who”. If your horse can make you move your feet, he knows it’s just a matter of time before he can knock you off your perch. Horses are persistent in their quest for dominance and they are not in a hurry!

When playing the Seven Games, use them creatively as opposed to playing the games the same way every time. Always playing them the same way turns the Seven Games into Seven Jobs, and bored horses start to get pretty inventive! Try playing the games with an obstacle where the horse has to do lots of different things, from jumping the obstacle, to stepping on it, to straddling it, going sideways over it, backing up on it etc. The only limit for you and your horse is your imagination!

Indulge The Talent

A horse who is mouthy and nippy is also showing his need for oral interaction. Play with his mouth a lot, and do more then he really wants. Rub vigorously with your hands, pull his lips around (playfully of course !), rub his tongue and even teach him to lead by the tongue (very advanced). Teach him to pick up your cap or a stick or a bucket, put this obvious talent to good use!

Stay Out Of The Nip Zone

Most horse nip because they are to close to you. Learn to move your horse out of your personal space with rhythmic driving actions, use your elbows and even do jumping jacks ! Horses with a tendency to nip also tend to crowd you, they are over friendly, pushy and self confident. Simply asking the horse to stay at a respectful distance can make a big change to his nipping behaviour. Remember, if they can’t reach you, they can’t bite you !

Don’t Smack Em Back !

If you feel a nip coming on, back your horse up quickly and intentionally. This changes their mind because it’s a dominant move on your part. Give up smacking. It doesn’t work, and it can actually turn a nice horse nasty. Put more backing into your daily interaction with the horse and, above all, don’t let him barge into your space.

Horses Only Bite People They Don’t Like, Don’t Respect Or Don’t Trust

Remember, horses are prey animals. They are most concerned about safety. Some horses bite because they are scared or unconfident, others bite because they are trying to dominate. In both cases, improving the relationship works. Just like people, horses need to feel liked and respected. Success with horses relies on knowing how to develop and maintain friendship and respect. It’s a balancing act. You can’t make a horse respect you by punishing him, in fact, it does the opposite. Aggressive people may successfully cause a horse to stop biting but they don’t win the horse’s heart.

Become The Kind Of Person A Horse Likes, Respects And Trusts

Play a lot of friendly games. Get your horse to like you and have positive thoughts when he sees you. Bring him apples and carrots (as gifts, not bribes!). Understand life from his perspective, understand how he develops respect, and consider his needs.

Develop your leadership skills. Teach your horse to move around you, not the other way round! Remember, horses need an alpha, or they will assume the role.

Prove to your horse you are not a predator, and that he can trust you no matter what. There’s a delicate balance between getting your horse to do as you ask and preserving his confidence.

Author: Samantha J Jane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

While watching horses play with each other, you’ll notice they do things like push their bodies, rear up, strike and kick, and BITE. Of course it’s all in fun and grabbing a bit of skin in their teeth is no big deal, unless the recipient is a human. It hurts !A horse that wants to bite you is usually expressing his desire to play, but he doesn’t know that human skin is not quite as tough as a horse’s. On one hand it’s a compliment that your horse wants to play with you, on the other hand, it’s a clear sign that he doesn’t see you as the alpha.

Horses Never Bite Their Alpha !

Do you know how to recognise the alpha in a herd?

He or she is the one without the bite marks ! Horse’s don’t bite their alpha. In the game of dominance, those who ‘bite best’ win. When horses play and nip each other they are basically developing their dominance skills and rehearsing takeover strategies.

People Turn Playful Horses Into More Aggressive Biters

Most people smack a horse for biting, which doesn’t work because prey animals don’t understand punishment. They think you are biting back and now the interchange becomes all about who will ‘win’ the dominance game. In horse land the bravest, smartest and quickest horse wins. The alpha horse is calm, self confident and totally unemotional. He’s also ready to do whatever it takes to maintain the alpha position. So when a horse goes to bite and you try to smack him, the horse just gets better at the game, he gets quicker at taking a nip and dodging the slap.

As time goes on the nip turns into bites because the horse gets more serious about dominating you. Also, when a horse can evoke an emotional reaction from you, surprise, anger, fear, he knows you have no chance of being alpha. You obviously aren’t calm, smart or brave enough !

Prevention Is Better Then Cure

What does Pat Parelli do when he gets bitten ?

“I say “ow” and rub it until it stops hurting ! What else are you going to do? Slapping the horse doesn’t work and it definitely doesn’t improve the relationship. If you got bitten it’s your fault for not thinking, being and behaving more like a horse!

Satisfy The Play Game

Many biters live in very restrictive environments, like stables and pens, and are isolated from other horses. Of course they’re going to feel pent up and lonely as their need for social interaction increases. The you may be all they have!

The Parelli Seven Games teach you how to interact with your horse in a constructive and playful way and at the same time allow you to exert your leadership in ways that horses understand. Dominant horses move other horses around and that’s what the Seven Games teach you do to.

The game is “who moves who”. If your horse can make you move your feet, he knows it’s just a matter of time before he can knock you off your perch. Horses are persistent in their quest for dominance and they are not in a hurry!

When playing the Seven Games, use them creatively as opposed to playing the games the same way every time. Always playing them the same way turns the Seven Games into Seven Jobs, and bored horses start to get pretty inventive! Try playing the games with an obstacle where the horse has to do lots of different things, from jumping the obstacle, to stepping on it, to straddling it, going sideways over it, backing up on it etc. The only limit for you and your horse is your imagination!

Indulge The Talent

A horse who is mouthy and nippy is also showing his need for oral interaction. Play with his mouth a lot, and do more then he really wants. Rub vigorously with your hands, pull his lips around (playfully of course !), rub his tongue and even teach him to lead by the tongue (very advanced). Teach him to pick up your cap or a stick or a bucket, put this obvious talent to good use!

Stay Out Of The Nip Zone

Most horse nip because they are to close to you. Learn to move your horse out of your personal space with rhythmic driving actions, use your elbows and even do jumping jacks ! Horses with a tendency to nip also tend to crowd you, they are over friendly, pushy and self confident. Simply asking the horse to stay at a respectful distance can make a big change to his nipping behaviour. Remember, if they can’t reach you, they can’t bite you !

Don’t Smack Em Back !

If you feel a nip coming on, back your horse up quickly and intentionally. This changes their mind because it’s a dominant move on your part. Give up smacking. It doesn’t work, and it can actually turn a nice horse nasty. Put more backing into your daily interaction with the horse and, above all, don’t let him barge into your space.

Horses Only Bite People They Don’t Like, Don’t Respect Or Don’t Trust

Remember, horses are prey animals. They are most concerned about safety. Some horses bite because they are scared or unconfident, others bite because they are trying to dominate. In both cases, improving the relationship works. Just like people, horses need to feel liked and respected. Success with horses relies on knowing how to develop and maintain friendship and respect. It’s a balancing act. You can’t make a horse respect you by punishing him, in fact, it does the opposite. Aggressive people may successfully cause a horse to stop biting but they don’t win the horse’s heart.

Become The Kind Of Person A Horse Likes, Respects And Trusts

Play a lot of friendly games. Get your horse to like you and have positive thoughts when he sees you. Bring him apples and carrots (as gifts, not bribes!). Understand life from his perspective, understand how he develops respect, and consider his needs.

Develop your leadership skills. Teach your horse to move around you, not the other way round! Remember, horses need an alpha, or they will assume the role.

Prove to your horse you are not a predator, and that he can trust you no matter what. There’s a delicate balance between getting your horse to do as you ask and preserving his confidence.

Author: Samantha J Jane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News