don't feed your fingers to the horses please

[elise]

i didn't get a chance to ride this weekend, it was raining out and the horses were soaking wet, on their own will of course, they have free access to their barn. so i just went and visited with them a bit. i bring them sugar cubes on occassion and they like to lick any spec of sugar left off my hands. well cody was sucking away when he sucked my pinky finger up into his mouth between his front teeth. he wasn't really biting down hard, and it wasn't like he was being mean or anything. my finger just kinda got sucked up there. it did hurt, and i'm standing there with my finger stuck in his mouth trying to rationally think of a way to get it out. owning other pets, my first reaction was to say 'no!' i don't think he understood that because he just kind of looked at me confused. i did finally manage to wriggle my finger loose. it was a bit numb for a while but no bruise or broken bones so no harm done. but man i felt stupid for doing something as dumb as that. part of me was mad at cody for biting me but really he was just sucking away looking for some more sugar, he probably had no clue that was my finger and not another sugar cube. guess i better start treating them from the ground or something. :>

i did notice when i was giving cody a nice pet, axel was trying to weasel in for his turn and cody gave him a little nip on the shoulder, "it's still my turn, get away!" cute boys.

[virtuallyhorses]

I've had one biting moment with Imp. I can't actually remember what I was doing with my fingers in his mouth but like you somewhere along the way he chomped down - the bit I remember vividly was the long moment from both of us as we assessed the situation and decided how bad it was and what to do next.

We stood and looked silently at one another without moving a muscle for what seemed quite some time. He obviously realised this wasn't what he thought it was in his mouth - and was probably weighing up just how much trouble he was in and what my reaction was going to be. I was trying to figure out what would cause the least damage to get my hand back - yelling or whacking him would likely result in his head thrown back and\or a harder chomp neither prospect excited me.

In the end we both quietly and slowly backed off and tried to pretend the incident hadn't happenned - no real damage done ;)

[Janette]

I've not actually been bitten by Star, but have had a near-do. She picked up the hosepipe which was running, as she is wont to do! Problem was, it had a connector on it, to allow people to put a squirt gun attachment on, she decided this would make a good tug of war, and the connector came off the end, and I ended up putting my hand up her mouth to rescue the d****n thing! (My brother had been cleaning his motor bike, hence the connector was on it)

[Laetitia]

I was harnessing nag up the other day, and she kept nibbling me. Not biting, but every time I came within reach she just nibbled, arm-wrist-hand-arm whatever was nearest. Any ideas? L

[Sidesaddlelady]

If this happens again slide the thumb of the other hand into the corner of the horses mouth like you do to persuade him to open up for the bit. Most horses will oblige and hey presto whip your finger out of harm's way. They can't help it if our fingers resemble carrots - obviously a serious human design fault!

[Sidesaddlelady]

Have you seen your horse in the field with her special friends? Well, nibbling is what they do to each other. You have to decide whether you are going to allow her the treat you like another horse. If you want to stop her you have to start immediately as if you let her do it and then suddenly try to tell her it is unacceptable you will have one very confused horse on your hands. Say "No" very firmly and remove the bit of you that she is nibbling. Do this every time she does it until he gets the idea. Don't hit her, particularly about the head. She doesn't know that this is naughty behaviour with humans.

If you decide to let her do it remember you will have to learn to live with torn sleeves and bruises where she's got a bit over-enthusiastic. And other people may not be so tolerant of being "bitten" by her. We had a lot of trouble with a horse in the American barn who had been allowed to nibble and eventually turned into a full-scale biter whenever he was thwarted in his desire to nibble whoever he pleased. The last straw was when he bit me on the arm through a padded waxed jacket, a pile-fleece and 2 fine wool jumpers and DREW BLOOD, just because I walked past his stable. I shudder to think what would have happened if he'd got one of the children

[Laetitia]

Will do. Thanks. certainly don't want her to start biting. L

[*Glitter storm*]

last year at pony club camp my friend got ill so i offered to check on her horse for her. I went in the stable and the little git lunged at me and bit my left boob! shirt was torn an eveything. most embarasing and painful! Quite funny tho as th same horse did the same thing to the owner at this years camp.!!