Why does my horse bite me?

Horses That Bite People

Many horses have bad habits of one kind or another. For some horses, biting becomes a bad habit that can be displayed in a variety of situations. Although nibbling may not cause harm to an individual, horse bites can be a serious problem! Not only can they cause physical harm to you or another person, but it can also inhibit the ways you are able to interact with your horse

So, why do horses bite people? There are many reasons why your horse could be biting you. Typically, a horse bites someone as a sign of aggression. However, in some cases, a horse can bite you in a playful manner or even as a sign of affection. Although this can seem sweet at first, any type of biting should be immediately discouraged.

Depending on the reason why your horse is biting people, there are many approaches to take to adjust this behavior. In this post, I will share some of the reasons why your horse may have started to bite people. I will also share a few of the most effective ways to prevent your horse from biting both you and other people that it interacts with.

Understanding Why Horses Bite People

When horses interact with other horses, biting and nipping can be a sign of aggression, affection, or anything in between. Unfortunately, this communication style can translate into the way your horse interacts with you. If you notice your horse begins to bite people, take careful note of the circumstances surrounding the incident. Many times, outside elements can cause your horse to fall into this bad habit.

Reasons Your Horse is Biting You

Learning the underlying reason why your horse is biting you or other people will allow you to more effectively prevent the bad behavior. Here are some of the most common reasons why horses bite people.

Horse Biting Out of Aggression

Horse biting out of agression

The scariest reason that horses bite people is to show aggression. This is most common in stallions. When a horse has excessive energy that is not being spent on productive activities, they may begin to act-out by biting you. Because of this, it is crucial to provide your horse with appropriate amounts of exercise and stimulating activities.

If your horse is biting out of aggression you will likely notice other tell-tale signs in their body language. The most classic signs of aggression in a horse are pinned back ears or stomping of the feet.

This problem becomes much more common during cold or rainy months when riding becomes more of a challenge. Luckily, there are other ways to provide your horse with exercise when you are not able to ride them as much as you would like. You can read my article here for some easy methods for exercising your horse.

Horse Biting As a Means of Communication

Some horses bite as a means of communication. Whether they are trying to get your attention or communicate a need, this habit should be discouraged immediately. When they are with other horses, biting or nipping can be a sign of affection.

This is not a harmful habit when other horses are concerned, but it can become dangerous when they begin to bite people. This type of behavior also shows a lack of respect for you as the leader of the relationship.

Horse Biting As the Result of Allogrooming

Allogrooming is the activity that takes place when horses groom each other. This type of behavior typically shows itself while you are grooming your horse. They simply want to return the favor! It is important to teach your horse that it is inappropriate to initiate allogrooming with a human.

Playful Horse Biting

Your horse may nip you because they are wanting to play with you. Their bad behavior may be a sign that they need a little extra attention or more stimulating activities throughout the day.

Horse Biting Out of Discomfort or Agitation

If biting is unusual behavior for your horse, it’s important to check for any discomfort or agitation. Your horse may bite you if they are uncomfortable because of a saddle that doesn’t fit or a girth that is too tight. Biting can be a sign that your horse is trying to protect themselves or that they are intimidated by a situation.

If you’re uncertain whether or not your horse is feeling their best, here’s my article on signs that your horse is happy.

Horse Biting Due to Illness or Infection

Many types of illnesses or infections will alter your horses’ otherwise good behavior. If you have noticed behaviors that seem off, or your horse is biting you suddenly, it is a good idea to check their health. Schedule an appointment with your local veterinarian to eliminate the possibility of a new illness causing your horse to lash out by biting people.

How to Prevent a Horse From Biting People

Once you determine the reason your horse is biting you or other people, you can develop a plan to prevent this dangerous habit that has been developed. It is important to react quickly in these situations to eliminate the behavior before it becomes more serious.

Establish Yourself As The Leader

The most important part of any relationship with a horse is to establish yourself as the leader. When your horse trusts you and acknowledges that you are in charge of the situation, they are much less likely to lash out with bad behaviors such as biting. Much of this is simply the result of lots of hard work building trust with your horse.

When a horse shows aggression toward you, they are questioning your role as the leader. If you have a horse that can be aggressive, you’ll want to consistently communicate your leadership with groundwork and building trust between the two of you.

If you want to better understand whether or not your horse trusts you, you can read my guide on recognizing that your horse trusts you here.

Provide Consistent Training

If you are trying to change a bad habit that your horse has such as biting, it is important to consistently discourage them from the habit. Consistent training is crucial. You can not punish your horse for biting you in some situations yet allow the nipping behavior in others. Even if the nipping is done as a means of showing affection, you must redirect this behavior to one that is more positive.

Teach Your Horse to Be Respectful

Once you have established yourself as the leader of the relationship, your horse will begin to respect you. Trust and respect go hand-in-hand. Many times this is something that must be developed over time. However, it is much easier to discourage bad habits in a horse that respects your authority.

When your horse respects you, they will understand that they are not to initiate any contact. As the leader, you are responsible for initiating contact and ensuring that healthy limits are maintained. Gaining the respect of your horse is a big topic all in itself, so I’ve written an entire article on the topic here: Disrespectful Horse Behavior Training Guide.

Make Sure Your Horse is Stimulated

Providing ample opportunities for your horse to expend their energy is one of the most important things you can do to discourage biting habits. There are many aspects to this.

Exercising your horse sufficiently to release their energy. Providing them with mentally stimulating activities during downtime. Even providing them with ample grass or hay to chew on while they are inactive can help to curb their bad habit of nipping people.

If you have a horse that tends to nip playfully while you lead them or brush them, this could be a sign that your horse is bored. To correct this bad behavior, give your horse something else to focus on. Groundwork is another great tool to use for this correction.

Get Professional Help if Needed

In some serious cases, you may need to seek professional help from an experienced horse trainer. Biting can quickly become a serious, in some cases dangerous, problem. This is especially true when your horse is biting people out of aggression. A professional horse trainer will have unique skills and abilities to curb this behavior before it gets out of hand.

How to React When Your Horse is Biting You

Because you love your horse, you are likely to feel hurt when they begin to bite you. It is important to remember that many times when your horse is biting you, it is not out of a desire to harm you. The best way to love your horse through this bad behavior is by providing them with the training and tools they need to overcome their biting habit.

If you have a horse that likes to nip or playfully bite at you, you can use your elbow to block off these advances. When leading your horse, keep their head at your side. This way, if the horse reaches over to nip at you, you can stick your elbow out and deflect the bite.

Your horse needs to understand that biting is bad. If your horse goes to bite you, immediately send them out on the lead at a working trot or canter. Have them go on the circle a while to communicate your point. Don’t let them stop on their own; they stop when you ask them to. Your horse needs to understand that this behavior is going to mean more work for them and that you’re not going to put up with it.

By discouraging your horses’ habit of biting, you will provide a much more enjoyable experience for both of you. When your horse bites, it is often because they are trying to communicate a message. Take your time to investigate the root of the problem so that you are able to treat it both effectively and efficiently.