Biting Other Horses

I have a nine-year-old gelding who bites the other horses in their rumps all day long. I've never seen him bite hard enough to draw blood — most of the time the other horses just move away, although sometimes they will kick at him. Is this anything to do with their “pecking order,” or just part of play?

- Sue

Sue, what you describe is a common behavior that horses display in order to get another horse to move. It can occur as play—but in those cases, you would likely first see some initiation of play such as mock rearing or head tossing. If the nipping at the rumps happens as your gelding approaches other horses—that is, not in the context of other interactions—I suspect that he’s a fairly “bossy” guy who is well-respected by most of the herd!

Share ThisShare This

Share