almost lost my finger - Western Training & Behavior - Western Training & Behavior - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 3/6/2010 8:12:42 PM

my mare was eating hay and i went over to pet her and reached toward her head and she bit my finger and almost bit the last section below the knuckle off. it is somewhat black and red and swollen and very sore. it broke the skin and left a tooth imprint on my finger-i may loose the nail as part of it is black. it hurt so bad i didnt even repremand her. i screamed and she jumped away from me. she could have thought i had treats for her i am not sure. she often jerks her head toward us as if she is wanting to bite,but usually doesnt. i usually clap my hands and say loudly no when she does this-and i do believe she knows she shouldnt do it. but still persists. i have smacked her nose for it in the past. but thought better about that and quit it. not sure if that was a proper reprimand.

she actually bit my husbands balled fist once. he said she just drove her mouth right on the end of his fist-he was wearing a glove at the time. .so wasnt i when this happened. i had just groomed her a bit and grained her and gave her hay and then sat and watched her as she ate. then went to pet her and she nailed me.w/o any warning. my husband said the state of some of the horses she lived w/when he bought her wasnt good. they didnt seem to have proper care as one horse even had a halter grew into his head. one was unmanagable,ect. so i dont believe they had a lot of contact and loving. so when we got her we made over her a lot and gave her alot of treats-which she loved. but later i cut back on the treats and it seemed that was when this nipping at us started but i feel she just did it out of being mad the other day-im not sure. as i have been giving her treats agin. she has never been a loving horse. wants only feed,treats and her front feet picked and to be left alone.she draws her ears back at any other interaction.this is after i have let her go and not worked w/her alot for months-due to her being pregnant then foaling. she lost her foal recently but has seemed to adjust to that.
should i stop treats altogether?
what about grooming,picking out her feet, petting, ect. while eating?
i know she needs some respect training. as she now will bump me or push over me to get to her feed ect. i know now i should have kept working with her instead of letting her be when pregnant and after having the foal as she seems to not listen to and respect us much now. is this the problem you think? does she just need to be retaught to respect us? also she did kick me once this winter-she was eating and had a large ice ball on her tail and i grabbed at her tail to remove it-it had already pulled some of the tail hairs out. i didnt lift her whole tail when i did it and i believe it pulled on the hair and hurt her so she kicked me in the leg-not hard but it scared me. i dont want to be afaid of her. so what should i do?

hunterseat

Posted : 3/7/2010 2:02:41 AM

MAN I wish I was there! DO NOT go near this horse without a training stick!!! (stick with rope) When she acts like biting you need to act like you're biting back and you NEED TO WIN! I'd take that stick and wack the tar out of her chest till she's doing some serious backing up. (don't forget your scary monster noises!) The rule is, when a horse does something that is so dangerous - biting, kicking, that sort - you have 3 seconds to kill the horse using your hands and the head is off limits. So just do it for about 3 seconds then stop a second or two and then go about your business, maybe one loving stroke to the face to let her know it's over. But I'd use the stick cuz she might whirl around. You can't be afraid but you need to watch her at all times. I'd stop the treats myself and, if you want to let her get one out of her dish, toss it there for her. Sounds like food aggression, like maybe she's had to fight for her feed so long she's just gotten nasty when eating. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

ETA: OUCH!!! Sorry about your finger!

samsara

Posted : 3/7/2010 4:48:48 AM

ow! What were her ears doing when she bit you? If they were pinned then it could be food aggression or something that would require an attitude adjustment on her part (hunterseat has some good suggestions). If they were pricked then yes, maybe she mistook your finger for a treat and it was an innocent accident. Either way, I wouldn't be feeding treats to this horse by hand. Use a bucket.
My horse is pretty mouthy. He doesn't bite but he likes to put everything in his mouth... all the time. A light smack on the mouth and a sharp "No" seems to do the trick... not hard, just enough to surprise him.
A stick is a good idea. Seems like you can smack them all you want with your hands and they'll just stand there but a whack with a training stick (or I like a crop...shorter easier to carry) really gets their attention with less force.

jesse1995

Posted : 3/7/2010 1:18:08 PM

When I first got my horse he went through a phase where,when I was leading him away from the barn,without warning he would go to bite me. He was neglected and with another horse (who was also at same barn but pastured) After the first few times I used the training stick he knew better. I think he just didnt respect me,and it seems like that is the problem with your horse. Also she may think you were going to take her feed away, maybe a flashback of her old home?

CrookedPostQH

Posted : 3/7/2010 9:22:37 PM

I agree she needs to learn respect with the stick - make her think you are trying to kill her for the three seconds. I would not mess with her while she is eating either - allow her some space. And, hand feeding treats is something I don't do, a pat or scratch is what I use to show approval.

Sorry about that finger, it had to hurt pretty bad.

annie234

Posted : 3/8/2010 7:05:47 AM

hello.thanks for the replys and advice. the finger is still pretty rough looking and sore . i do have a training stick. i used it for my colt who had a kicking problem. never had to use it for the mare too much-just as in a little desensitizing-running it up and over her body and legs.
i am not sure what her problem is. she doesnt really seem to have any feed issues. and i always rub her ears and face to keep her used to it. but she does most often pull those ears back at about any interactions you have with her. i dont remember her doing this so much before as only in the last few months. as i said before other than mostly feeding she doesnt seem to care for us. you walk out in the pasture she imdiately comes right to you. you hold up your hand- or extend it to her and if you dont have a treat/feed she turns away from you or turns her but to you as if to say she is ignoring you? then if you persist to pet her she draws the ears back and acts as if she wants to bite by kinda nipping towrds your hands-arm.

i dont get her. other horses seem to have needs for affection not this one. i have fed and groomed her picked her feet. whatever together for a long time now. but i did usually do these things seperately alot. but as i have said i have been lax with her for some time before and after the colt/so she may have learned to just run over me-and my husband. i believe the treats are gonna stop unless they are part of her feed now. to see if this will help and i will start taking my training stick with me.
funny thing is-when we have company everyone wants to see the horse so we go out and everyone gets a few treats to give her and she seems so nice and stands around letting them rub and love on her. she just seems so sweet. no one realizes she just wants treats and that if they just went about her as we do she would want nothing else to do with them that didnt involve food. like a kid she seems well behaved until everyone leaves. lol

hunterseat

Posted : 3/8/2010 1:20:24 PM

Don't let your company get hurt. You'll have to put your foot down on this until you figur it out. She's proven unpredictable and many happy horses live without treats.

I have to say, my Bullwinkle never wants affection NEVER. No use for it. I think affection is more for the person unless you mirror the affection one horse gives to another.

I wish I was there. *sigh* I just don't know what to tell you except "don't turn your back" (I practice this with my own horses) and take that stick with you. Use it as and extension of your arm so you're not too close if she gets nasty.

annie234

Posted : 3/10/2010 3:35:52 AM

hunterseat, hi, thanks for the info. i dont have company too often as we live way out of the way. but i will keep others away from her until i can see she has settled down. i have been taking my training stick with me too. i try to observe her more now when i am near her. and have not had much interaction with her when she is eating. i also told my husband no more treats unless they are in her feed pan at feeding time.
i did realize she seems to be in heat now=and when she bit me, as she goes around with her tail pulled to the side . does the heat cycle really make them contrary? i have heard this.
i will not give up on her. i guess i am/was disapointed in her as i wanted a horse that loved me as much as i loved her. when i was alot younger my uncle had a horse i spent alot of time with and he was absolutely awesome. just an old work horse that we rode and plowed,skidded logs, pulled sleds with. but he was so sweet-played with you like a kid. was ornery but very gentle. i miss him. i will always love him. and i guess i had too high hopes of her being like that. but just as you described your horse she just doesnt give or seem to want affection like that. maybe with more time she will but if not that's ok. i have realized horses are like people-all with different personalities. she is really stubborn at times. but so am i. i realize some horses are like kids you let them go undiscliplined a while and they want to do as they please. but i dont give up easy so onward i persevere. i will let you know how it goes. thanks for always helping,annie.

ourpaintedreams

Posted : 3/28/2010 4:40:55 AM

the reason your mare acts the way she does with you and your husband is that you are encouraging the behavior by your actions. You need to find an instructor ASAP before you really get hurt. She is turning her butt to you and attempting to bite because she has established herself as your leader and she is telling you off in horse language. This is a VERY easy thing to have happen for a first time horse owner and I am not trying to bash you. There has to be things you are doing to make her feel that way or she would act that way with EVERYONE not just you and your husband. &nbsp ';P'

LEASE find a good instructor asap or a trainer or a friend or something that can help you with this mare before you ruin her or get really injured. I've had the same thing happen at my own house with my husband.....he just does not get it sometimes, and was making my horses VERY disrespectful and rude and DANGEROUS. With some simple changes in how he feeds and handles them things are much better...if you want to contact me for some ideas I would be happy to help you with suggestions but the BEST thing is to get with an instructor asap. Sorry for all your troubles with her and her colt.