This might not be in the right section but didn’t know where else. I dont think it is a health issue. I purchased a new horse on Friday. He is a 13 year old appaloosa gelding. When he is tied with or without saddle or in trailer and he is alone, he will start pawing the ground. On the way home he hauled like a champ, turned around and rode backwards and never moved. But as soon as we sat still at a red light, I would feel the trailer moving and could tell he was pawing. When I pulled in the pasture to unload him he started back. Tied him out on Saturday to brush and tack up. As long as I was around him talking or touching he was fine. But once I walked away to get or put up saddle he paws. If you get may 15-20 foot away he starts. I dont think it is a health issue but maybe boredom and doesn’t like to be tied alone maybe.?. Is this something that is ok for him to do, if not how can I break him of it? He stands good tied, just paws.
This is pretty common among horses when they’re trying to tell you something. Your horse is telling you he’s impatient
when tied, so hurry up and get back here. Have a young mare who learned as a baby to paw at feeding time- before
the feed was served. It took a while but I finally scolded her enough at the right time and she stopped.
Your horse is 13 and he may have been doing this his whole life so it may take a little longer to extinguish the behavior.
I use a noise that sounds like “ACK” to tell them to stop doing something. Then when they stop, Reward w/ good boy
and a pat. Eventually they will go longer and longer without doing it.
You may want to look into ‘Clicker Training’, it’s tailor made for horses like yours and most horses love it.
I’ve done a bunch of trick training using bits of carrots- same technique. Rewarding good behavior.
Good Luck and Congrats on your new boy.
Had one, previous owner was a treat feeder. He’d get anxious when tied, she’d treat and Horse had her trained to feed him a treat when he pawed in no time. Graduated to pawing in the stall and sometimes trailer if standing for a long time in traffic. Once ingrained it’s a tough habit to break, like nail biting or smoking or other OCD behavior.
Wish I could tell you what to do to solve it, never did find the majikal cure. I’m not a fan of random treats, only in the feed bucket after work, but even after years he still amused himself by pawing, got worse if anything. Was less obnoxious in hot weather, when tired or after a long turnout ( as in big field, not pen or arena) and if he was interested in something, he’d quit for awhile Tried stall toys, didn’t catch his interest. He did it with new owners after I sold him too. Totally different environment.
We had him in a stall with a window and tried to keep him out more often and longer but this was a land of rocks and rattlers. That did help. Tried some mild tranqs, they didn’t do much.
Theres always ear plugs or turning up the truck radio.;). Least he didn’t crib.
Same as you I bought a new horse a couple of years ago and he was quiet on the way home then the next trip pawed non-stop. I hemmed and hawwed about it and then bought these:
http://www.pawingbracelet.com/
I called the owner of the company and asked if they didn’t work, could I send them back? He said yep, no problem. So I bought them. Horse wears them for hauling. He no longer paws in the trailer --but sometimes paws in the cross ties --I just tell him to quit and he does. But for hauling, try pawing bracelets —someone said horse shoers can make a set out of old shoes don’t know. These work good.
As noted, pawing can be an expression of impatience or of anxiety (or both!). Try to avoid situations in which he would paw, unless you are ready to correct him. Try to get him lots of practice with you in the vicinity NOT PAWING. Don’t abandon him without supervision or expect him to remain tied “forever.” Just turn him out or put him in a stall if you can’t attend to him.
After standing quietly gets better, you can use mild corrections (verbal, sound, even a water gun! I used to throw small towels in the air for distraction) to remind him to quit pawing. But still, focus on success rather than correction. Don’t set him up to fail.
I got my mare as an 11 yr and she was quite a bad pawer (and not good at tying). It was so bad that she was wearing her hooves unevenly due to pawing. With patience and repeated success, it was much reduced in 6 months and nearly gone as a routine behavior in a year.
