Training Tips

QUESTION: I have been reading your Q&A but do not see anything about a horse biting when being mounted with a saddle or bareback. Over the past several months, I have been concentrating on ground work with my 7-year-old mare due to rearing issues and kicking. When I stand on her side (either side, but more aggressive on the left), to rub her, attempt to get on bareback or with a saddle, she swings her head around to bite me. I can rub her anywhere with a lead rope, plastic bag, bottles, etc.; however, she does not seem like she wants to be ridden or mounted. We have just started learning how to do circles on the lead and she did offer some rearing and kicking, but seems to understand that she must move forward. Is there anything else other than just continuing to stand next to her and rub, act like I’m going to mount until she relaxes? Thank you for your time.

REPLY: It sounds like from here that you're doing a lot right there. This could be one of two things:

1) behavioral issue, in which case, let me direct you to a couple of links on my website (in case you haven't seen them already):

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips12.html

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips124.html

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips225.html

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips142.html

Even though the "titles" of those horse problems aren't identical to yours there, they are in the same category, so still read them because you'll then be able to see an overall picture of what needs to be done there in your particular situation, with your own horse.

This, however, is only if the problem is behavioral in nature, something the horse has accidentally "learned" as a work-avoidance measure; something that is "working" for the horse, again to avoid work.

2) There's a good chance this is a pain issue. If it's a pain issue, then the horse is screaming as loud as she can that she's in pain somewhere, probably/maybe on the back somewhere. It's like...if you had thrown your own back out, for example, and a kid comes along and tries to jump on you for a piggy back ride, you'd scream bloody murder. Well, so do horses, but in their own way, similar to how your horse is there.

I want to direct you to a link on my web site that goes over saddle fit issues (even though you say this is happening when trying to mount bareback), because sometimes this behavior gets learned from past bad saddle fits: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips40.html

The horse could also have some hidden-to-you pain that you're not aware that's not about tack. If it's deemed potentially a pain issue (not about tack), then you might try calling in an equine massage/body worker therapist to get to the bottom of exactly where the pain is, and the therapist works to fix it. These specialists are amazing in their highly trained talent for getting to the bottom on pain issues in horses (which can mascarade sometimes as "behavioral issues"). In fact this would be my first route of tackling the problem in a situation like yours, just to rule out pain in the first place. Always better to rule out pain issues first, then that leaves you knowing for sure that it's not about pain, but behavior. That's a good order to do things in with problems like this.

Equine body workers are a very important part of the horse upkeep and training team with many horses. More and more we're realizing in the natural horsemanship field that so-called behavior issues are actually sometimes masked pain issues. This category of horse specialist is comprised of highly trained equine therapists who know how to locate that pain source, and work to fix that, as well give the owner a course of treatment so the problem is erradicated and the horse kept more comfortable so they can focus on their jobs.

To help you find an equine body worker, let me direct you to a section on my web site, Find an Equine Massage/Body Worker Therapist NearYou: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/EquineMassageTherapists.html