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  Discussion on How to stop a horse from eating while trail riding
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Member:
Pellis

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 3:41 pm:

Looking for ideas to keep my gelding from "snacking" while riding. We often ride pastures with tall grass/vegetation and very "natural" trails that traverse wooded areas with dense underbrush - often riding areas with just enough width for horse and rider to get through. This gelding is a master at eating while riding. If there is a weed or a branch level with his mouth and within 6 inches he can grab it even while traveling at a very fast/extended trot or a canter. He's extremely quick about it - has it nailed between his teeth before you blink. Often he ends up pulling the whole plant up and dragging it with him as we travel along. I've even had him grabbing grass/weeds as we canter through a pasture - he can do it traveling straight or while circling. He simply grabs it without missing a beat. He isn't putting his head down or up and in some cases doesn't have to even reach to the side - simply gets it in his teeth and uses his forward momentum to break it off. This is vegetation nose high or higher. He's never been hungry in his life - gets plenty to eat and is kept in pasture for 10 to 12 hours each day.
The only thing I've tried so far is using a crop to pop his neck each time he grabs food. Doesn't really seem to bother him in the least. I ride western, but isn't there something that some english riders use on the bridle to keep the mouth shut? Any other ideas would be appreciated.
Member:
Green007

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 3:56 pm:

LOL! I am so sorry to laugh at your plight, but I am picturing your horse using the leverage of a good hard gallop to take out an entire tree branch and dragging it along like a giant mud flap, and I just can't help but laugh.

I used to have a hunt horse that was the same way. No matter how much I scolded, whipped, kicked, yelled, smacked, spun, leg yielded or "gave him a job" to keep his mind off of eating, he could still take out the taller grass and even large dead corn stalks just as long as they were at mouth level. He had gotten away with it as a youngster before I had ever bought him, and he was a pro.

English riders use DrOpped nosebands to keep the horse from crossing its jaw and getting the tongue over the bit, but unless you tighten them to the point where you would offend the Humane Society and your horse would have trouble breathing, I don't think it would do much good.

To be honest, I think your best bet is to just do what I did. Give up, ignore it and just enjoy your horse for the no-good, spoiled rotten, fun and wonderful character that he is! And buy a bit that doesn't allow grass to get too tangled up in that naughty mouth of his.
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 4:11 pm:

Ditto to Debbie's post.

If you are going to ride through high grass and branches that overhang the trail, you are going to have occasional grabs. As long as your horse continues to move forward, I see no problem. If you are aware of the branches and grass before he is, and you can catch his attention on you and move him forward with a little more force, you may be able to avoid some of his snacking.

Look at it this way . . . you are helping to keep the trails cleared and your horse is enjoying the rides, too.
Member:
Stina

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 4:11 pm:

What about riding with a grazing muzzle? Perhaps if the behavior was interrupted for a while the habit would diminish.

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Member:
Pellis

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 4:21 pm:

We do get quite a few laughs. It's particularly amusing after we stop and I reach down to pull the trailing plant from his mouth. He often doesn't even try to eat the thing - but just holds onto it like it is the last piece of food on earth and he's keeping it for later.

I've thought about a grazing muzzle, but wasn't sure about how one would work over a bridle and bit. I'm going to look into that.
Member:
Green007

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 4:29 pm:

Let us know how it goes with the grazing muzzle! We couldn't even consider such an option since it would be generally frowned upon in the hunt field. I would think a muzzle would bounce around against the bit and really bother a horse at speed, but it may be worth a try.

And yes, I remember well the feeling of constantly reaching forward to pull an extremely large tree out of the side of my horse's mouth.
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 20, 2005 - 7:44 pm:

At least your horses keep moving. I was riding a friend's horse once and it suddenly stopped in mid-gallop, DrOpped his head and grabbed a mouthful of grass. I wound up hanging around his neck "indian style."

My great older mare, who never did such things when she was younger, will now nibble as we ride along, and as long as we keep moving, I just ignore her. I figure (and I guess she does, too!) that at her age she deserves to be spoiled.
Member:
Dsibley

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2005 - 8:57 am:

My 17.2 Appendix QH does the same thing. At his height, it's like a giraffe eating out of the trees! Be careful with those corn stalks, though. He grabbed one, flipped it over his head, and smacked me in the face with the dirt on the end of it. I was pretty lucky I didn't get hurt. Do ya think he did that on purpose?
Member:
Gailking

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 27, 2005 - 3:38 pm:

I think all horses enjoy a mouthful of fresh grass so I compromise with my horses. I ride my older horse in a padded jumping cavison noseband with a headstall to hold it on and no bit. It has two rings for reins on either side. If I am on a pleasure ride and ponying the younger one, I stop every so often at good grass and let them have a few bites. The routine is you keep going until I ask you to stop and then we eat. This works out pretty well with less grabbing behavior and seems to please all of us. My horses love to go out on the trail or in the trailer and line up at the gate whenever it is time to go. This also works on a more serious ride where I might gallop for a mile and then stop and relax and eat for a few minutes so we can both catch our breath. Often one of my horses is running loose so they can eat at will and then race to catch up with me. I trade off which one I am leading or riding so they both get to be free. The arrangement works for all of us--just don't let them both loose at the same time! Good Luck. Gail
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