Biting Horses
Biting or Nippy Horses
A lot of nipping behavior in horses is actually attributed to a desire for connection. Horses use their mouth to explore their world and you are part of that world. Once you strip away the “naughty” label that we often give to mouthy horses, and instead we see it as a bid for connection, we are then able to respond to it differently and meet the need that your horse is asking for.
Keep working on the flowchart exercises until your horse transitions smoothly from the moment you catch them to leading them to the working area, where they stand still and remain present for the majority of the time. You’ll know it’s time to move on when you no longer observe your horse twitching for extended periods, and you start feeling that it’s becoming routine. Trust your intuition and reflect on the insights from the passing grade podcast as you progress.
Then and only then will you move on to Step 18.
A reminder of how to use this course: click on Mark Complete below and when you are ready to move on, go to Step 18.