AQHA Show Horse

Question
My daughther has been showing horses for eight years in 4-H and open shows and has owned her on horse for 2 years.  He is 15 years old and we have not really had any behavior problems from him; however, about three months ago during halter and showmanship classes he started trying to bite her while in hand.  So we decided to work on this problem at home; the problem is he doesnt' do it at home.

During her District Show it he was trying so hard to bite her and she kept moving her hand under his chin and away from his mouth, she lost focus and ended up not placing in that class when she normally places 1st or 2nd.

We are not sure how to correct this problem do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Without knowing what you have tried to do to correct the matter, I can only provide you with a generalized approach.  From what you have described, I am left with the impression that either the horse is bored or stressed at the show.  Either way, this problem has begun at home despite not seeing the behavior at home.  There are probably several subtle clues going on that are being overlooked.  Pay close attention both at home and at the shows to how he behaves around your daughter.  Things to be watching for are: invading personal space, purposely walking ahead of your daughter, not listening while handling or riding....the list goes on. If the horse saw your daughter as a leader of his herd then he would both be attentive to her as well as feel comforted and relieved by her presence.  The biting is perfectly normal horse behavior.  He is doing this to establish her rank in the herd.  There are several books and videos available that teach natural horsemanship.  If nothing else, have your daughter spend some time researching horse behavior.  This knowledge she can apply to her handling techniques which will greatly help both this issue and future issues to come.