Downunder Horsemanship

By: Clinton Anderson, Downunder Horsemanship When a horse gets mouthy — he nips or nibbles shirt sleeves, jackets or the lead rope — the behavior is often brushed aside. This is especially true with young horses, the most likely culprits of this behavior. A foal mouthing your shirt sleeve doesn’t seem like a big deal; in fact, a lot of people think it’s kind of cute. But the problem with this behavior is that if uncorrected it often turns into biting — a very dangerous vice.

Use this exercise from top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson to teach your horse to bend through his entire body and become softer in his mouth. When you can get your horse to bend and soften laterally around your leg, it’ll create more softness in everything else you do with him. Remember, horses don’t have hard mouths, they have stiff bodies. If you can get your horse’s body soft and responsive to your leg, he’ll automatically become softer in his mouth.