I’ve just started part-boarding a horse (very recently taken offf school-horse duties) who “makes faces” (horrible faces) and occasionally acts as if he’s going to bite, but never does. This exclusively happens when I touch his girth/saddle area or his chest when grooming, or occasionally but he’s snapped at my hand when I’m walking him out after a ride. He clearly doesn’t intend to actually bite (he’s had many opportunities to make contact, but never makes contact). I assume this behaviour is related to being sour after years of his job as a school horse and what I assume to be many uncomfortable girth yanks (of note: he’s only sour in the stable, not in the arena) but I’d appreciate feedback on specifically what’s behind this behaviour/why he’s so very reactive, especially when I’m walking him out (which I find puzzling), and how best to address it. He pins his ears right back, flashes his teeth, with the whites of his eyes visible, and sometimes snaps at the air near me. So far, I’ve been using my voice (sharply when needed) to correct him and rewarding good behaviour by releasing “pressure” when he stops the behaviour (ie taking my hand/the brush off him when he lets up with the pinned ears and bared teeth). He’s been checked and no physical cause has been identified. I’m always gentle and respectful when touching his sensitive areas. I’ve ridden most of my life, including leasing a number of horses (but very far from an expert)—but I’ve never directly experienced these kinds of behaviours in a horse I’m working with. I’m keen to understand why he’s so hugely reactive and how I should address it moving forward. Any information and advice would be much appreciated.
Something is wrong IMHO. Even if he has been checked. I don’t believe this started as a discipline issue but it might end up that way if the real problem isn’t discovered:)
the girth area suggests ulcers.
the chest area suggests lungs.
The only time one of my horses ever tried to repeatedly bite me was when I was brushing his chest.
The regular vet shrugged his shoulders and said nothing was wrong. The holistic vet/chiropractor who has studied Chinese medicine much of her life said the horse’s lungs were “full of crap”. She put him on an herbal blend for a month and whaddaya know, he stopped staying to bite me when I brushed his chest and his digestive issues also straightened out.
if possible find a holistic vet who is a chiro and well educated in herbal remedies. I’ve received more positive help from mine than the farm vet.
or you could haul the horse to an equine hospital and find out what’s really wrong that way:)
If he turns his head in your direction when you are at the girth keep your elbow sticking out so he whacks it, not the other way around. There is a fix for mouthiness that I’ve seen work. If he starts baring his teeth, rub his muzzle energetically but gently with both hands. Keep it up until he gets sick of it and pulls his head away. John Lyons’ book Troubleshooting has a good collection of articles that focus on one problem at a time.
A sharp voice won’t do much. It comes after his behavior so he won’t associate it with anything. If he is pinning ears and baring teeth while you are grooming, when you take the brush away he learns that is all it takes to get rid of you and the brush. What happens when you want to groom him? You will get the same behavior. If he can stand quietly and let you stroke him with a soft brush for 1 or 2 or 3 strokes, do that, then immediately take the brush off him. Tell him he’s a good boy, maybe stroke his neck or scratch his withers. When he is doing what you want, like standing quietly, deluge him “good boy.” Ignore what you don’t want unless he is threatening to bite. Try to break things down into teeny tiny little steps. If you get 5 seconds of “good” behavior, reward him. They learn by repetition. Try it again and if it works reward him again. If not, go back to an earlier step that he knows. Be happy with a couple of good minutes. Always end a training session with horse and human in a good place. Someone asked the other day about some of my gelding’s behaviors. I spend 5-15 seconds on training - one repetition daily done exactly the same way everyday. I’ve been telling him he’s a good boy the entire 19 1/2 years we’ve been together. It makes a difference. He’s good about not stuffing his nose in a grain bucket before I pour it out.
Lesson horses have a tough life and you have a pretty good list of the challenges. They live with a constant barrage of cues and aids from too many people and they are supposed to figure out what they are supposed to do. There is no consistency at all. Think about a young rider who trots faster and faster but doesn’t get the canter… It sounds like he figured out if he makes nasty gestures he gets the result he wanted.
It’s defensive behaviour. He’s defending himself, based on how he feels, and how he’s been treated previously, and what he has learned “works” for him to back off a human. Sensitivity on the sides and girth indicates gut issues, either ulcers, OR digestive issues. These can be difficult to get diagnosed if digestive issues. If not ulcers, try feed changes.
The problem with defensive behaviour is that you can’t “discipline” them for this. Because doing that only makes them more defensive, defending themselves from YOU, escalates the situation. Your job is to figure out what he is defending himself FROM, and change that for him, and soothe the savage beast. You can’t be a “pushover”, but you do have to investigate and understand his situation, and act accordingly. If he has gut issues, he’s trying to tell you that, and protect himself from you further irritating his condition. That’s where I’d start.
MIght also be signs of a sore back from an ill-fitting saddle
Broken record here but…
Ulcers would be the first thing I treat for.
Then check saddle fit.
Consider looking into TTouch. They have some tools to help a horse overcome fear of girthing etc.
That said, I have a mare that flat out hates people/touch. I have treated for ulcers, I had her back x-rayed, and I had her ovaries ultrasounded. That is about all I can do, as she cannot handle people touching her anywhere but her head and neck even with tranq. I can palpate her back (it seems fine), but nobody else can as she will cringe and get wrinkle eyes as soon as they step close.
For riding, she is relieved once I get on and she no longer has to look at me. She is fantastic to ride, as long as there are no humans nearby (on or off horse). Very trainable and willing. But then I get off, and she is back to stressed; when I first got her she would kick out when I got off. I think she just hated my sudden appearance.
I think she has a traumatic experience when her previous owner had her leased out. I know something happened, but the leaser was dodgy about answering, and the seller wasn’t exactly forthcoming out the mare’s behaviour (although I never thought to ask).
I have been doing my best to help her using positive reinforcement, and I only use Epona “brushes” (they are more like a sponge). I make sure she wears a sheet for the farrier to trim her (so she doesn’t feel the farriers hair tickle her).
I have no idea why she is like this, although she was a WP lesson horse for a while, so maybe that is the common denominator?
I wouldn’t say western pleasure (is that what you mean by WP?) caused that . Rather, being abused at one point or another in her life is probably closer to it. Not saying you… but someone. Horses don’t have hate built into in them, it’s developed.
I don’t have any helpful advice, though one of the horses at my show barn 20 years ago was like this. He would bite the air, grind his teeth, pins his ears, shwoosh his tail…the whole show while getting saddled up. I don’t ever recall hearing about ulcers being so prevalent back then so it could have been that, but the owner did have a chiropractor out for him regularly. I’d venture a guess that there was something hurting him since he was otherwise well behaved and friendly. He was never bad under saddle either, so if there was pain during a ride, he didn’t show any signs.
The common denominator was that my horse and the OPs horse were both lesson horses.
I do not think my horse was abused by the person I bought her from, but something happened, and I think whatever it was caused her to be more sensitive/concerned to touch. Could be physical or psychological, who knows. It is extreme, and it is sad, and I have no idea how to fix it. I hope the OP has better success.
“Hate”? That seems a bit over-dramatic, don’t you think?
Either something fairly specific is irritating this horse right now - ulcers, a pinching piece of tack, an invisible lesion under his hair somewhere - or he suffered with something of the sort in the past, and developed this stereotypic pattern of behavior around it. Things like that do happen, especially if an animal is wound pretty tight to begin with.
One of mine was extremely food aggressive when I got him at four, and made absolutely terrifying faces when defending his food. To help him get over this I did two things: first, I made sure that he was never disturbed while eating in his stall, and, second, I calmly and walked him back several steps every time he tried the ugly faces when with me. It took several years, but he did get over it completely in the end.
Physical and psychological go hand in hand. But yes, all the luck to “OP”
Long term check for ulcers, etc., but short term provide hay while grooming. It’s like the TVs in front of the chairs at the little kid haircut places, plus a non-empty stomach also helps with any ulcer pain.
It can come from years of having a saddle put on and the girth reefed up immediately.
So rule out ulcers. Rule out bruising.
Instead groom saddle and girth area to allow the horses to warm to the saddle and girth, drop the girth down on the other side. Do up loosely. Continue grooming, doing up the girth now and then one hole at a time on both sides.
If it is a habit that happens as soon as you reach for the girth. I had that with a Grand Prix lesson dressage horse. Months of me making sure the girth was done up slowly, as soon as I started to move my hand to the girth he did it.
In the end I put his double bridle on. One hand on the curb rein. EXTREMELY GENTLY I started to reach for the girth with the other hand. He did it he got a little pull on the curb rein. In one session he never did it again for me.
I did have his trust from months of handling and he knew that I would never hurt him. I did it very gently but with something that was very severe. I never had to do it again with him.
A huge thank you to everyone who replied. It gave me a lot to think about and I’ve changed my approach. I’ve also asked his owners to look more thoroughly into medical and physical reasons for the behaviours. I’m very grateful to all who posted! 
