My mini is starting to bite when i do something something she doesnt like, like i will rub her belly and she tries to bite. she gave my mom a huge bruise when she was rubbing her belly. Also when i pick up her feet. Is there something wrong with her stomach that i need to get checked out? When i smaked her on the nose she turned her butt to me like she was gonna kick...kinda scarry. This is also my first horse so is there anything else i should know about training to not bite and kick? Thanks!!
Answers:
You have to be firm and take a stand on her foot issues. She is not allowed to bite when her feet are handled.
Get someone to help you and handle her feet MORE. Doing it less rewards biting. After all, you obeyed her and quit fussing with her feet when she threatened you.
A few times a day go out and pick up her feet. Praise good behavior, correct her SHARPLY when she misbehaves.
Bored, underworked horses develop bad habits. Especially the little ones, for some reason they just seem smarter than their bigger "cousins". Make a point to work her everyday. Tired ponies are well behaved ponies.
As far as biting when you rub her belly, quit.
She doesn't like that.
How would you like someone coming and ruffling your hair every 2 minutes. It's a personal preference thing you need to respect, as long as it doesn't interfere with handling her. Pet her neck, between her ears, some like their rumps scratched, just leave her belly alone.
P.S. I don't think it's a health/medical issue, but it never hurts to have it checked out. The vet will also have ideas on how to get her to behave.
uh thats kinda a mini thing they tend to be agressive but yah if its a new thing have the vet check it out
Carefull there! Sounds like someone may loose a finger soon! The horse does it because it gets by with it, I know that! Smack him in the nose hard as you can with your fist the second he bites. That will make him "Uncomfortable!" And I know, all the carrot feeding people are gonna hammer me about abuse. Abuse is when you, or your child is in the emergency room getting a finger reattached to the bone by a horse that you feed, care for and shelter! I'm not a horse abuser either, I had one that went after me when I walked in the stall. Thats what I did, and he stopped it! I still have him, wouldnt sell him for anything! He has taught alot of my friends kids how to ride....
Minis tend to be stubborn and opinionated. Mini mares can get quite argumentative. Minis need a much firmer hand than most other horses and ponies - they are smart, they think about things, and they will bite and bull you down if you let them.
I bought a mini mare about 1 1/2 years ago, she was 11 at the time, and since minis are small and cute, they tend to get improperly handled and trained (if they get trained at all). My mini was no exception. Home bred, and child raised, 1.5 years later, I have made no marks in changing her attitude and down right nasty behaviour that 11 years has reinforced in her.
She bites, will kick, will rear and strike, flip herself over to avoid what she doesn't like, bull you down, run between your legs, run under the full size horse to get out of the paddock gate, push into you, step on you, and will genuinely fight you tooth and nail when she is getting something done, like feet trimming, that she has not been otherwise taught she has to deal with.
I call her my little monster, and I am certain that her behaviours will never change. Every form of reinforcement I have tried has been unsuccessful. I have tried natural, non natural, I have tried cowboy things like laying her down - and still her behaviour is just down right nasty.
I would say that if your mini is just starting in to this behaviour pattern - do what you must to end it now, for once they learn that can get away with something and win (by you backing off of what she doesn't like), they will always expect to win that fight, and they will expand their behaviour to win on other battles as well. Ending the behaviour quickly before it becomes a problem will eliminate a lot of issues in the future.
She bites- smack her
She kicks-carry a whip, she turns her butt to you, you smack her on the rump
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