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Definitions:
Definitions:
Merriam Webster:
Merriam Webster:
Bite
to seize especially with teeth or jaws so as to enter, grip, or wound
Oral
of, given through, or involving the mouth
Stereotypy
abnormal, repetitive behavior
Examples of Oral Stereotypies
Examples of Oral Stereotypies
Cribbing
A behavior in which the horse grasps onto an object (like a fence or gate) with its front teeth and pulls back, grunting
Wind Sucking
Similar to cribbing but without grasping onto an object
Lip Smacking
Continuous smacking of lips
Self-Mutilation (oral)
A behavior in which a horse bites itself to point of injury
Wood Chewing
chewing wood objects such as fences
What does this look like?
What does this look like?
Biting in horses is a completely natural behavior and is essential in horse-horse communication. Biting is used to eat, guard, groom, mate, establish, and maintain relationships (1, 2, 3, 4). A peculiar oral behavior seen mainly in foals is called "snapping," also known as "clacking," in which a foal will look like it is exaggerating its chewing but in the air and towards another horse (2, 5). This behavior seems to be isolated to the foal life stage and is seen as a sign of submission to communicate that it is young and means no harm, while others theorize that it is a displacement behavior for the foal to calm itself (2, 5, 6, 7).
Why does this happen?
Why does this happen?
A horse will bite when something is wrong and only after giving warning signs. They will not bite just to bite, as discussed in the Aggression section (8). A bite from a horse can cause decent injury to humans, and they are very common in handling.
Cribbing can be an incredibly frustrating behavior to manage in horses because the act of grasping onto fences and other surfaces with the teeth is destructive to their teeth and the farm. How many times does that fence need to be replaced??
Common Reasons for Biting and Oral Stereotypies
Stall Housing
Frustration from restricted access to space, forage, and buddies can increase biting in horses (12).
Boredom in stalls may increase cribbing (9).
Pain/Discomfort
Oral stereotypies and self-mutilation may be signs of issues in the gut, like ulcers (9).
Upset stomachs can cause skin irritation, which makes the horse feel really itchy and sensitive. In some cases, someone touching the irritated skin may cause the horse to react aggressively.
Increased biting might also indicate pain somewhere else (15).
Self-Defense
If a horse feels threatened, it may bite to protect itself, which is totally normal.
Training
In aversive training, a horse may feel pain or discomfort, leading to an unwillingness to participate and increased unwanted behaviors like biting (12, 15).
Psychological Distress
There is even evidence of horses who crib having higher general stress levels and release "the feel good hormone" when cribbing, similar to addictive personalities (16).
How Can We Help?
How Can We Help?
As discussed above, an upset in the gut can cause lots of issues outside of the stomach. A horse is at risk of stomach ulcers with long periods of no feed (10). Horses are continuous grazers, which means that they are supposed to be eating throughout the day. This is much different than traditional meal-feeding. Once the horse's stomach is empty, the digestive acid can burn through the stomach or intestine lining, forming ulcers and causing those behavioral issues.
If possible, give 24/7 access to hay or feed more often to mimic the 24/7 access.
Life in a stall can be incredibly boring for an animal that, in the wild, would walk for miles every day with a herd (11). Galloping, bucking, and rearing are all normal behaviors for horse's to play and burn off their energy, which are all restricted in stalls (2, 3, 4, 5).
Ideally, try to give 24/7 turnout, or as much turnout as possible.
Horses are social creatures who use biting in normal daily maintenance as well as social relationships (2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14).
Grooming is necessary to maintain skin and coat health because it keeps the skin clean and prevents sores and hair loss. Skin is the first line of defense against disease and infection, so it is important to keep it healthy. The coat helps to protect the skin and regulate body temperature, so the horse does not get too hot or cold.
Grooming plays a major role in forming relationships. It has been proven to increase bonds and stabilize herds (13, 14).
Advocate for your horse to have at least one buddy for turnout! Having that friend to perform those normal grooming behaviors will decrease how often the horse will perform the unwanted biting behaviors later.
Because increased biting, oral stereotypies, and self-mutilation may indicate some kind of pain or distress, a call to the vet might help (9, 15)! A vet can confirm or diagnose the cause of the distress, and they will get you on the right path with treatment.
Once the horse's basic needs are met through the 3F's and vet attention, you may need to begin customized training sessions to work on decreasing how often they bite. Often when a horse has been in pain or stressed for a while and they have started to show these behaviors, the behaviors may become "rehearsed" and we will need to work to "break the habit".
Below is a video of a horse on treatment for severe ulcers. Because ulcers are often overlooked as the cause of behavioral issues, this horse dealt with ulcers for a long time. The discomfort and irritation caused by the ulcers made him act out through aggression. With traditional handling, he was punished for every reaction, and now, he is very anxious for training and handling.
Challenge: List the warning signs you observe before the bite, and see what could have caused this reaction.
Sources
Sources
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