Horses

  1. Home
  2. Home & Garden
  3. Horses

How Do I Prevent My Horse From Chewing on the Bit Shanks?

A Reader Asks About Her Horse Lipping at the Shanks While Standing

By Katherine Blocksdorf, About.com

Q: A reader asks: My horse starts to chew on the shanks of the bit while standing for a period of time. It gets annoying. What can I do to stop him?

A:It's tricky to try and diagnose a problem without seeing it. My guess is that your horse is either bored or has some discomfort. If he does this while standing he's probably bored. Keeping him busy--his mind and body-- will help, but it's unlikely you'll resolve the problem completely.

If discomfort is causing the problem you may try addressing dental and chiropractic issues. These are two common problems that can reveal themselves in many different behavioral problems.

Of course, if he doesn't have shanks to lip at, he can't do it. Try a bit that doesn't have shanks if possible. You could consider using a bitless bridle like a side pull or a Dr. Cook. A hackamore with a shank may or may not solve the problem. Shanked hackamores can be very severe as well--so careful handling is needed when using them as they can cause damage.

More Horses Quick Tips

Readers' Tips: How Would You Prevent a Horse Chewing the Bit or Bit Shanks?

Bad Tasting Spray

You could try using a product like "No Chew" on the shanks of the bit, that tastes bad.
—Guest Gabby

Share Your Tips

How Would You Prevent a Horse Chewing the Bit or Bit Shanks?

All fields required

50-character minimum

1000-character limit

Log in to Your Account

Forgot your password?

Explore Horses

More from About.com

Horses

  1. Home
  2. Home & Garden
  3. Horses
  4. Common Problems
  5. Horse Behavior Problem - Horse Chews Bit Shanks

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.