Chewing bucket edge/pawing only when eating grain?

[ElementFarm]

I have a coming 3yo WB colt who was born on the farm and has never left for more than a few hours at a time. He primarily lives out, with a large run in, free choice hay or grass, and good gelding friends of all ages.

For pretty much his entire life, he’ll chew on the edge of his feed bin (corner feeder or tub) while he’s eating breakfast/dinner grain. He’s not arching his neck or sucking air, he just takes a bite of food, then chews the bucket a few time while chewing the grain. He does not chew at all when he’s not eating. He’ll also commonly paw with either front leg while eating, but again, only when eating grain. None of this behavior when eating hay or not eating at all, even when stalled. (He is fed Triple Crown grain, soaked beet pulp, and a biotin supplement. We also add mineral salt during winter months)
No other horses on the property exhibit any of this behavior, so it’s not like he learned by watching.

He has a stress-free life, as far as it goes, and is quite healthy, fat, happy, shiny (though smaller in size we were expecting) and doesn’t seem ulcery in any other regard. Again, this behavior isn’t new. If it’s just a quirk, that’s fine. Though I’m not loving the wear on the buckets, and it can’t be great for his teeth.
But, I do worry that maybe he’s uncomfortable or ulcery, and I should be trying to figure out a root cause?

Thoughts?

[candyappy]

I have a mare who bites her feed pan while eating grain and then she always goes to the metal gate and licks it for a bit.

She has done this since we bought her. 8 years now and it is always the same. If she doesn’t get grain she doesn’t do it.

She gets a handful of Oats, alfalfa pellets and 6 ounces of flax. For her it is just a quirk and I bet it is with yours too.

I feed in a rubber pan on the ground so no wear on her teeth or the pan. Maybe switch to one of those buckets?

[PNWjumper]

I had a gelding like this. I bought him as a yearling and he lived out with my mare herd…not a terribly stressful life and the behavior didn’t change between when he was unbroke and then when he went to work (and had a more stressful life). He would paw and chew on things as he ate grain. I tried a bunch of different things, but ultimately ended up just taking away his grain bucket altogether and just dumped his grain either on the ground or on top of his hay. He quit pawing (and chewing on things) right away and then, interestingly, never started it back up when he would get fed in buckets at horseshows.

[IPEsq]

The pawing is definitely a baby behavior. It’s a get away from me and my food kind of thing. I guess the chewing might be too? My gelding when I got him at 4 would still paw. And yes, in his stall by himself. Sometimes he’d also shift his butt back and forth while he did it. I couldn’t feed him in a pan on the floor or he’d paw it and flip the food everywhere.

I did some hanging out with him and also would work up to grooming or otherwise messing with him or other things in his stall (like the water buckets) while he ate and the behavior went away. Like I had to convince him no one was coming for his grain even if someone else is around him.

He does still have to go lick something after he eats. The salt block, metal, the waterer, me :lol: And he’s now 8!

[Seagram]

I have a thirteen year old, that while he eats his grain, just kinda dangles a front foot. Not really pawing, but does occasionally flip the feed pan. Drives me crazy, but he can’t seem to help himself. He’ll switch feet, back and forth as he eats. I’ve tried different feed pans, even a hanging feeder of the fence, he does it no matter what. Think it just an odd learned quirk.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

I’m so glad to hear about others with horses that are lickers after eating. I always thought my horse was maybe a bit “odd” for this behavior. Feed him a treat - goes to the gate and licks it. After a meal - goes to the gate and licks it. When he was in a stall, he’d lick the top of his door (there wasn’t any metal in his stall except his 5gal bucket holders). I can’t imagine what it is about the metal that makes it worthy of a good lick but he’s done this for 18 years. He’s never cribbed or chewed or anything else - just licks.

[alterhorse]

If you haven’t already, you could have your vet or equine dentist out to check for dental issues. Make sure there is no retained cap or other dental issue.

I’ve known plenty of horses of all ages that pawed at feeding time.

I agree with trying the rubber feeding pan on the ground.