miniature is a brat!

[little shibaz]

hello,
at the school i go to we learn about animals, and we have a miniature horse who is an absolute brat! i have experience around horses but i've never learned anything about training, so maybe someone could give me some tips. he likes to bite, he's nipped people in my class before and he is really bad when leading. he just snaps at you for no reason. its a pain to lead him because all he does is turn his and snap and then throw his head around, then snaps again. what should i do when he tries to bite on a lead? in his stall? ANY help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

[Wally]

Sorry this ankle biter is, well, doing just that!

It may be that he is fed up of being around folk who don't respect his horsey needs. I bet he has had enough of kids poking and prodding him, not being aware of his body language and his needs.

I bet folk have fed him bits and bobs, sweeties and the like, he thinks that it is hs right to get sugar and apples and gets cross when they don't get offered, so he give a quick nip to register his disappiontment. As nobody is consistent with him as he sees so many people he has learned that he can get away with his behaviour and is **** of the roost. If he works out that you are the boos he'll be better with you but still bite anyone else. MAke it plain to him that biting is no on, jump up and down in front of him and send him away when he bites, don't hit him he will end up scared of being handled. Make him go to the end of his lead and then invite him back to you, unless he nips again then away he goes again. Square up to him and make yourself look big.

Unless EVERYONE treats him the same you will have trouble training him. Everyone would have to follow the same rules about leading him, feeding him, grooming him and discipline. Hard when he is a communal horse.

Our lot get a holiday from people after the summer season, we turn them out and LEAVE THEM ALONE. We look at them from a distance to check they are okay, but they need time to relax and be horses without humans getting in the way. They have to put up with a great deal in the summer with kids trips and tourists. Everyone needs time out from humans!

[thehorselover]

some ponies are made to be around kids, and some aren't. he's cranky and sick of having himself pulled and and kicked at by little kids. i'm sure he knows better, he just needs to be re-kindled!
give him some discipline! get on to him when he nips, let him know he's wrong!

[cabanha]

I think Wally said it quite nicely... he may not be a people-oriented horse and he may not be able to cope with all the kids invading his privacy and poking at him (not to say all of them do that, but I'm sure a lot do). If he is tryng to bite it may be because people are feeding him treats in which case you need to make this aware to the kids and ask them to please not feed him any treats besides his own regular feed. When you're leading him and he starts to bite, a firm, verbal "no" should work because it will startle him and of course if he has learned what "no" means, he will start to think of biting as a negative action. I really don't believe in hitting a horse or any "rough" physical contact used for discipline purposes because it may seem as though you have solved the problem but the horse will end up just shying away whenever he sees a hand, foot, etc. and could end up becoming aggressive towards humans because he fears what will happen. Well I talk too much. Good luck!