How to Stop a Foal From Biting
Just like any other baby animal, foals can be mouthy and nippy. They may just be trying to test their boundaries, or they confused a hand with a carrot. Whatever the reason, if this behavior is not corrected early, a foals nips can turn into serious and painful bites. It is easier to break this habit when they are young, and small, foals. There are several tricks you can use to send the message to your foal that biting is not okay.
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Instructions
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Do not hand feed a foal that is biting the hand that feeds him. Instead place the food on the ground or in his food container.
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Tug quickly and sharply on the lead if he appears ready to bite you or is biting you. Tug just enough to get his attention, but not harm him. It will be even more effective if you can do this before the bite occurs.
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Raise a hand and say "ehh" loudly and quickly. This works well if the foal is coming to bite you. The loud and annoying sound, with the flash of the hand, will distract your foal and bring his focus onto you as the leader.
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Become your foal's leader. If your horse is being pushy, you need to show who is in charge and gain your horse's respect. This is not done by punishment, but rather through general training and leadership. Taking time every day to teach your foal new behaviors, such as walking and following various commands, will gain his respect and lessen his biting habits.
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Tips & Warnings
Any consequences you give your foal for biting must be done immediately before, during or after the behavior. Think of it as a three-second rule. If the consequence is more than three seconds after the bite, then it will be confusing to the horse and may even worsen the problem.
Watch your horse's behavior so that you can prevent a bite with these techniques before a bite ever happens.
A biting horse can be a dangerous animal. If you cannot get your foal to stop biting, then you should work with a professional horse trainer to get help.
