Post by Casper on Feb 20, 2007 18:41:31 GMT -5
My Horse Bites
When asked what I'd do if a horse bites me, I often reply, "I'd say 'dang' and rub my arm. Then I'd get smarter."
This is not normal! Most people cannot believe it. "You mean... you wouldn't smack him for it?!"
The normal way to react to being bitten is to punish the horse. Most people strike back and hit the horse on the nose. Not only does this not solve the problem (horses are still biting years later), it usually turns it into a big game for the horse. The game then becomes - be able to bite and then dodge the swinging arm coming back... it's great fun!
Some schools of thought urge you to very aggressively punish the horse for monstrous behavior as soon as he bites. This punishment approach is aggressive, unfair, un-natural and can be dangerous if the horse retaliates.
Aggression usually begins where savvy ends. People turn to punishment and force when they run out of ways to be effective. All they really need is a bit more understanding about how to be effective using communication, understanding and psychology.
Punishment doesn't work with prey animals. As often as I have told people this, I can never say it too much. Punishing a horse only sends you backwards because it causes a horse to lose respect for you. If horses read emotion such as fear, anger or aggression in you it has an interesting effect on them. It produces fear in them or they learn how to push your emotional buttons and get very artful about the biting or any other behavior that makes you upset.
Handle the behavior with savvy
1. Don't let the horse get close enough
Most people hold horses too close, usually by the snap right under the halter. They are inadvertently pulling the horse closer to them and are giving him all the opportunity in the world to take a bite.
Teach your horse the Yo-Yo Game (Game # 4 of the Seven Games in the Level 1 Partnership Program) so you can back him out of your personal space and teach him to respect it. If you're out of reach, it's very hard for the horse to bite you. Backing a horse up is also one of the four ways to cause a horse to become more respectful and this is where the real solution lies.
2. Earn your horse's respect
If a horse respects you, he wouldn't dream of biting you. It's like a teenager... all those naughty things they do come back to one root - disrespect. And no amount of punishment is going to cause a teenager to become more respectful, in fact they get more resentful. So the real question is how do you earn a horse's respect.
The answer is "the Seven Games." It's the same way horses earn respect from each other. The one who is the fastest, the strongest, the bravest and the quickest thinker during play and dominance games, is the one who becomes Alpha. The Alpha horse is respected and trusted. All the other horses look to him for leadership. After years of observation, I discovered there are seven distinct games that horses play. So, I simply called them the Seven Games. Each one has a number and name to help students learn and remember them easily. Most importantly, so they know how to play them in the right order when they are learning. When you can play and "win" the Seven Games, the horse will have a whole new respect for you and you'll have amuch better relationship.
When it comes to naughty behavior, this is the "prevention". It means you do what it takes to establish respect from your horse so it never has to happen. The sad fact is that most people won't do what it takes, they stay stuck in the old "hit him for it" mentality because they think it takes too much time to learn the Seven Games. I always say, take the time it takes so it takes less time. The problem could be solved in a day instead of being something you are still swatting him on the nose for years later.
3. A bite is an invitation to savvy
If a horse bites you, there are two things you can be sure of:
1. He had a reason
2. You don't have enough savvy
Some reasons for a horse biting could be fear, defensiveness or disrespect. If you punish a horse for biting out of fear it is very unjust. This would be like spanking a child because he was scared and wet his pants. How could he ever trust you? If the horse was defensive, ask yourself first what you might have done that caused him to want to defend himself. Sometimes, it could be as simple as entering his stall without permission. Try to look at it from the horse's point of view. How does he perceive you and your behavior? Are you polite? Are you pushy and demanding? Are you too critical of him? Do you give him enough mental and emotional stimulation every day? Sometimes biting is a legacy of his past. Rather than physical abuse being the cause, it's more likely that he never learned to trust and respect humans.
If you know horses, it will come as no surprise that horses know who they can bite and who they can't. They have an acute savvy detector which goes on the moment they see a person approaching. They can tell by the way you walk, the way you approach, the way you get (or don't get) their attention, the way you halter, the way you touch... it's endless. Don't ever think that a horse hasn't got you pegged within the first 10 seconds! The solution, of course, is to get more savvy. Savvy horsemen rarely, if ever, get bitten.
4. Mouthy horses lack respect and lack fulfillment
Young colts and stallions are particularly notorious for nipping and biting. In a young horse it's important to know that mouthing and nipping is very natural (it's Game #2 of the Seven Games!) It is especially prevalent in horses kept in isolation and in orphan foals raised by hand. They see you as a playmate and can't wait to start playing horse games with you. Often, the rougher you get at smacking them for it, the harder they'll play. (Refer back to punishment not being effective) They have no concept that you are not as resilient as another horse so don't expect them to be gentle with you!
Solution:
Play Games 1 and 2 with foals. Once they are weaned, play all Seven Games. This will help you develop a respectful relationship and give the horse mental and emotional stimulation as well as physical. A horse that is confined and isolated lacks social interaction and is apt to develop undesirable behaviors around people. Their pent up energy can make them frustrated and very difficult to handle. You can do a lot to ease that frustration by playing with him. You become recreation for him.
Give them plenty of attention in zone 1 (the muzzle and mouth area). If the horse wants to chew ropes, stuff more and more rope in his mouth until he loses interest in it. Rub his muzzle vigorously but lovingly. Give him major massages on the lips and chin. Hold his tongue and teach him to lead by the tongue. This takes a bit of feel, timing and balance. You have to be careful not to grab and pull the tongue if he tries to pull away. (It's also a Level 2 task in our Program).
Stallions are a whole other ball game. They require someone with a lot of savvy - A Lot of Savvy!! I hesitate to give advice on how to handle a biting stallion because using the techniques without the right attitude, feel, timing, balance, savvy and experience could get you in a lot of trouble. Stallions are extremely dominant and full of energy and play. Their job is to be dominant and they don't take kindly to things getting in the way of their sexual responsibilities. All the solutions I've suggested for biting horses relates just as much to stallions as to other horses, it's just that it takes more expertise and savvy on your part to be able to play games with a stallion. I strongly recommend that one becomes more skilled and savvy at the Seven Games with other horses before starting with stallions. I urge my students to be Level 3 in my program before playing with a stallion and I forbid my instructors to handle them until they are Levels 3 or 4. What I care about here is safety and the best way to be safe is to have savvy first.
I hope you now have some different, more natural views to think about regarding the biting horse. Horses bite and nip for a reason and the best way to solve the problem is to find the reason and to dissolve it. Fear, frustration, defensiveness, anger, disrespect, playfulness and aggressiveness are the roots. Develop your savvy, and get to the root of the problem. Play and win the Seven Games.
Savvy Secrets
Understand why the horse bites. There are many different reasons.
Don't let him get close enough!
Earn his respect through the Seven Games.
Don't punish him, that only breeds resentment.
People with horse savvy rarely get bitten, so get more savvy!
Give zone 1 (the area between the tip of his nose and the noseband of the halter) plenty of attention.
Terms of Use | email: pnhusa@parelli.com | Intellectual Property Notice
Copyright © 2006 Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc All Rights Reserved | Photography Copyright © 2006 Coco All Rights Reserved
When asked what I'd do if a horse bites me, I often reply, "I'd say 'dang' and rub my arm. Then I'd get smarter."
This is not normal! Most people cannot believe it. "You mean... you wouldn't smack him for it?!"
The normal way to react to being bitten is to punish the horse. Most people strike back and hit the horse on the nose. Not only does this not solve the problem (horses are still biting years later), it usually turns it into a big game for the horse. The game then becomes - be able to bite and then dodge the swinging arm coming back... it's great fun!
Some schools of thought urge you to very aggressively punish the horse for monstrous behavior as soon as he bites. This punishment approach is aggressive, unfair, un-natural and can be dangerous if the horse retaliates.
Aggression usually begins where savvy ends. People turn to punishment and force when they run out of ways to be effective. All they really need is a bit more understanding about how to be effective using communication, understanding and psychology.
Punishment doesn't work with prey animals. As often as I have told people this, I can never say it too much. Punishing a horse only sends you backwards because it causes a horse to lose respect for you. If horses read emotion such as fear, anger or aggression in you it has an interesting effect on them. It produces fear in them or they learn how to push your emotional buttons and get very artful about the biting or any other behavior that makes you upset.
Handle the behavior with savvy
1. Don't let the horse get close enough
Most people hold horses too close, usually by the snap right under the halter. They are inadvertently pulling the horse closer to them and are giving him all the opportunity in the world to take a bite.
Teach your horse the Yo-Yo Game (Game # 4 of the Seven Games in the Level 1 Partnership Program) so you can back him out of your personal space and teach him to respect it. If you're out of reach, it's very hard for the horse to bite you. Backing a horse up is also one of the four ways to cause a horse to become more respectful and this is where the real solution lies.
2. Earn your horse's respect
If a horse respects you, he wouldn't dream of biting you. It's like a teenager... all those naughty things they do come back to one root - disrespect. And no amount of punishment is going to cause a teenager to become more respectful, in fact they get more resentful. So the real question is how do you earn a horse's respect.
The answer is "the Seven Games." It's the same way horses earn respect from each other. The one who is the fastest, the strongest, the bravest and the quickest thinker during play and dominance games, is the one who becomes Alpha. The Alpha horse is respected and trusted. All the other horses look to him for leadership. After years of observation, I discovered there are seven distinct games that horses play. So, I simply called them the Seven Games. Each one has a number and name to help students learn and remember them easily. Most importantly, so they know how to play them in the right order when they are learning. When you can play and "win" the Seven Games, the horse will have a whole new respect for you and you'll have amuch better relationship.
When it comes to naughty behavior, this is the "prevention". It means you do what it takes to establish respect from your horse so it never has to happen. The sad fact is that most people won't do what it takes, they stay stuck in the old "hit him for it" mentality because they think it takes too much time to learn the Seven Games. I always say, take the time it takes so it takes less time. The problem could be solved in a day instead of being something you are still swatting him on the nose for years later.
3. A bite is an invitation to savvy
If a horse bites you, there are two things you can be sure of:
1. He had a reason
2. You don't have enough savvy
Some reasons for a horse biting could be fear, defensiveness or disrespect. If you punish a horse for biting out of fear it is very unjust. This would be like spanking a child because he was scared and wet his pants. How could he ever trust you? If the horse was defensive, ask yourself first what you might have done that caused him to want to defend himself. Sometimes, it could be as simple as entering his stall without permission. Try to look at it from the horse's point of view. How does he perceive you and your behavior? Are you polite? Are you pushy and demanding? Are you too critical of him? Do you give him enough mental and emotional stimulation every day? Sometimes biting is a legacy of his past. Rather than physical abuse being the cause, it's more likely that he never learned to trust and respect humans.
If you know horses, it will come as no surprise that horses know who they can bite and who they can't. They have an acute savvy detector which goes on the moment they see a person approaching. They can tell by the way you walk, the way you approach, the way you get (or don't get) their attention, the way you halter, the way you touch... it's endless. Don't ever think that a horse hasn't got you pegged within the first 10 seconds! The solution, of course, is to get more savvy. Savvy horsemen rarely, if ever, get bitten.
4. Mouthy horses lack respect and lack fulfillment
Young colts and stallions are particularly notorious for nipping and biting. In a young horse it's important to know that mouthing and nipping is very natural (it's Game #2 of the Seven Games!) It is especially prevalent in horses kept in isolation and in orphan foals raised by hand. They see you as a playmate and can't wait to start playing horse games with you. Often, the rougher you get at smacking them for it, the harder they'll play. (Refer back to punishment not being effective) They have no concept that you are not as resilient as another horse so don't expect them to be gentle with you!
Solution:
Play Games 1 and 2 with foals. Once they are weaned, play all Seven Games. This will help you develop a respectful relationship and give the horse mental and emotional stimulation as well as physical. A horse that is confined and isolated lacks social interaction and is apt to develop undesirable behaviors around people. Their pent up energy can make them frustrated and very difficult to handle. You can do a lot to ease that frustration by playing with him. You become recreation for him.
Give them plenty of attention in zone 1 (the muzzle and mouth area). If the horse wants to chew ropes, stuff more and more rope in his mouth until he loses interest in it. Rub his muzzle vigorously but lovingly. Give him major massages on the lips and chin. Hold his tongue and teach him to lead by the tongue. This takes a bit of feel, timing and balance. You have to be careful not to grab and pull the tongue if he tries to pull away. (It's also a Level 2 task in our Program).
Stallions are a whole other ball game. They require someone with a lot of savvy - A Lot of Savvy!! I hesitate to give advice on how to handle a biting stallion because using the techniques without the right attitude, feel, timing, balance, savvy and experience could get you in a lot of trouble. Stallions are extremely dominant and full of energy and play. Their job is to be dominant and they don't take kindly to things getting in the way of their sexual responsibilities. All the solutions I've suggested for biting horses relates just as much to stallions as to other horses, it's just that it takes more expertise and savvy on your part to be able to play games with a stallion. I strongly recommend that one becomes more skilled and savvy at the Seven Games with other horses before starting with stallions. I urge my students to be Level 3 in my program before playing with a stallion and I forbid my instructors to handle them until they are Levels 3 or 4. What I care about here is safety and the best way to be safe is to have savvy first.
I hope you now have some different, more natural views to think about regarding the biting horse. Horses bite and nip for a reason and the best way to solve the problem is to find the reason and to dissolve it. Fear, frustration, defensiveness, anger, disrespect, playfulness and aggressiveness are the roots. Develop your savvy, and get to the root of the problem. Play and win the Seven Games.
Savvy Secrets
Understand why the horse bites. There are many different reasons.
Don't let him get close enough!
Earn his respect through the Seven Games.
Don't punish him, that only breeds resentment.
People with horse savvy rarely get bitten, so get more savvy!
Give zone 1 (the area between the tip of his nose and the noseband of the halter) plenty of attention.
Terms of Use | email: pnhusa@parelli.com | Intellectual Property Notice
Copyright © 2006 Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc All Rights Reserved | Photography Copyright © 2006 Coco All Rights Reserved