Chewing???

[loopylou]

As you know Mags will be 2 in April, but she has a terrible habit of chewing her lead rope and this isn't a new habit it is one that i have been trying to get her out of for months.

Doesn't matter how much you try to position the rope she still manages to get it in her mouth. Standing, leading, or even putting it on. I even tried putting the yum yum spray on to stop her, but no that didn't work either. Ideas please.

[harleydales]

Apollo chews his too............................................he's 20! He chews everything - his reins, fencing wire, his rug when I'm putting it on and my coat given half the chance. Sometimes I think it is because he is anxious, other times I think it' just a habit and he's too old to break it now!

[Debbie]

This is one I'm a huge culprit of fostering with Blossom. When she first came and for much of her life with us as a youngster, she was on her own. So I allowed her to 'thumbsuck'. She was never allowed to bite/pull, only to suck on things. At any given point she would suck on my ponytail if insecure, or just for a 'mummy' moment. She would suck and play with my coat, which I allowed (yes, absolutely naughty mummy hat!!!), but again she's been told over and over, and over yet again "Lips! No teeth!!!". Now she could practically chime that along with me beginning with the lips part

As she came into her 'brat/thug' stage when Galahad arrived, I made it clear that she needed to pull on her big girl panties and grow up....and it was up to me to let her grow up too. I made a line in the sand about her sucking on my coat. No more, period. And please back up out of my space.

When she was backed last year, the trainer and neighbor accused me of bitting her already. I hadn't because she'd been teething so much, I didn't dare bit her. I didn't want her to have an unfortunate bitting experience due to teething issues, so we left well enough alone. She took to the bit like no horse I've ever seen. She adores it and will happily mouth it the whole time she's working.

As for the leadropes, I've never allowed her to have them. Its leftover from dog training, so to me its a bad habit. Dogs will do this to prevent you from making corrections with the lead....and I naturally did the same with Blossom without consciously thinking through any of it. It was just one of those things I didn't let her do. No biggie, but she wasn't allowed to put it in her mouth. I always removed it. If she looked anxious and we were just standing there, or if it looked like her mouth might be itchy, I just stuck my fingers in her mouth, playing with the corners of her lips or rubbing the gums. Sometimes she'd like it and suck on my fingers (no teeth!), other times she found it annoying, would give me a look and then stand there, but she wouldn't attempt to go for the rope either.

I've recently read where one woman starts her babies out learning to tie and about ropes, and she says they all try to thumbsuck at that stage. She treats the rope with a bitter, no chew type spray. Because it tastes nasty, she says the babies don't even get it in their mouth. Clever! I never would have thought of that.

[NFK Dumpling]

Musky is very "chewy" I stick my fingers in his mouth to remove whatever it is he shouldn't be chewing and say "No!" I think it is something that most grow out of. My hope for this is my friend's SaddlebredX who was far worse but at the age of 3 1/2 stopped

[kestrel]

milo chews everything too !!!! i was advised to put chilli powder on lead ropes etc to stop it, so i bought some extra hot, and yup, youve guessed it, he liked the taste !!!!!

so now im using a plastic bottle with stones in, and shake it at him, when he does it at inappropriate times, (ie with his reins)and have given him "toys" to play with when tied up, ie, an empty haynet, a salt lick on rope etc .... has certainly helped, but dont think will ever stop it..

[NFK Dumpling]

How old is Milo?

[kestrel]

milo is 12 , so he prob wont ever stop it, but i figure its worth a try....
it was a natural horsemanship lady that gave me these ideas, she say s they work well n youngsters, but obviously i camt comment on that..