By Pat Parelli When asked what I d do if a horse bit me, I often reply, I d say dang and rub my arm. Then I d get smarter. Most people cannot believe it. The normal way to react to being bitten is punishment.
Most people strike back and hit the horse on the nose.
Some schools of thought urge you to very aggressively punish the horse for montrous behavior as soon as he bites. This punishment approach is aggressive, unfair, un-natural and can be dangerous if the horse retaliates. Aggression usually begins where savvy ends. People turn to punishment and force when they run out of ways to be effective. All they really need is a bit more understanding about how to be effective using communication, understanding and psychology.