I have been working with my 12 year old paint gelding for about 4 months and he is really coming along nicely. Before we ride every time we do pivot on the haunches to the left and right, pivot on the forehand left and right and flexing to touch the stirrup on each side. Then after I mount up, we do the same things before walking out. Recently, He has started leaning over to bite me in the arm when we are doing pivot on the haunches to the left. At first I thought it was because his breast collar was too tight, so I took that off and he did fine for a few times. Yesterday though he started trying to bite me again! He doesn't try really hard and when I catch him mid " attempt "he pulls his head back. He is usually very friendly and I am not sure what the issue is. He is vetted sound and his teeth were done 4 months ago when we bought him. Is this a respect issue? He doesn't do it during riding. I am not sure how to correct it since I am really working hard to get him over his head-shyedness.
He may just need more ground work on the move, to get supple and comfortable with your signals . First, I'd take any tack off and use a rope halter and lead if you have it, with no buckles that could hit him if you shake on the lead. I would ask for only one crossover step, stop, and reward each step with release and voice approval.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
When I start a horse on pivots off the hind in ground work, I start with standing at the near shoulder, and using pressure from my fingertips against the shoulder to ask for this. I don't release the pressure until I get him to move . If he uses the wrong foot to move, I square him up, and start again. The lead is only active to jiggle him to attention if he tries to move forward, and I keep it only as active as needed to keep him from moving forward. Be aware that it can take a lot of patience to get that step, but it is important to wait it out until you get it.
Be sure he is crossing the left fore in front of the right fore, and keeping the right hind planted. If there is any tension or misstep in getting that one step, then there may be a confusion about what you are asking for. If he gets one step right, then ask again for another one step, provided he is keeping the hind left planted, and if you get it, stop and reward by releasing your cue and give a voice cue like "good boy". Then ask for one more step, keeping him rotating around on a half circle. I would keep doing this one step at a time. When he can do a 180, one step at a time, correctly and without trying to bite, go for a full circle.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com If at any time he tries to bite while you are doing this, give a sharp tug/shake on the lead with your hand directed away from you (toward his right), and a firm "no". In the meantime, don ' t release the pressure on his shoulder, and continue as if nothing else happened. With a rope halter, he will feel your correction, and should quit trying to bite. Do it good and hard and fast every time he even thinks about biting you, but be sure to continue your pressure cue on his shoulder. He needs to know that biting won't stop the pressure, and that it will get him an unpleasant response.
Add ...... okay, then what you are doing is called a pivot on the fore, and in this case, a right fore. It is the stationary foot that is being pivoted around that determines a pivot on the fore versus a pivot on the hind. So if you are moving his haunches to his left, you are pivoting on the right fore.
For a pivot on the right fore, which moves the haunches to the left, I stand at the horse's right side and use my fingertips to apply pressure to the right of the horse side where my heel would be under saddle. I bring the lead slightly toward the horse's right side as I maintain pressure until I get one step to the left The right (near) hind should cross in front of the left (off) hind. When you get one step, release pressure and say "good boy" . Use your lead as needed to keep him from moving forward. If he gets one step right, do one more, and so on.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com If he reaches to bite you, maintain the pressure on his side while you give a good hard shake of the lead downward and toward the ground, but away from you. Not at his face, but toward the ground, with a strong "no" ;.
Don't let him enter your space with his nose without immediately shaking him back off. It's best if you stay planted at his side and make him do any work required when he acts up. Stay put, and always bring him back to where you told him to be, without you budging.
There are other exercises you can do to teach him to respect your space which would help in your situation. Often a biter has never been correctly trained to respect human space. These exercises are best accomplished in a rope halter and lead that is loop attached so there are no metal parts to break or hit him as you train. That way, if he ever acts up, he can be firmly shaken out away from you and lunged if he acts up until he gets tired of his own nonsense and gets focused again . I use 10 foot long leads, and prefer the feel and weight of yachting rope for both the halter and lead.
