I need ideas to stop pawing

[rubyviewminis]

We have tried a lot of things to stop this coming two year old from pawing so much! He does it the most at feeding time of course. He has a huge pasture to run and play in with his buddy, but he paws at his toys, anything in the dirt, anywhere and all the time. He is like a puppy pawing at everything. I have been trying to devise things to tie to his leg and mind you he is only 29 inches now. I tried tying a soft rope to hobble him while he was tied and soaking in his soaking boots. He gets out of everything and I want to be careful and not constrict his legs. I have tried a kitty collar, baling twine holding a little block of wood, didn't bother him at all, and those wrist clackers. He liked the clackers and thought they were fun to - well clack! I don't mind but he has worn his toes off since last summer, we have tried the Vettec and they fell off no matter how we prepped the hoof, all boots and shoes are way too big and I can only prevent the pawing if he is eating in a small area, or tied. I was hoping with winter and snow his toes would get a chance to grow out, but no.

I wondered if min hobbles (after training in them of course) or those chain weight boots might work. His little build-a-bear boots are too big but I am going to try to cut one down like the little boys tennis shoes for Tonto. Any ideas?

 

[disneyhorse]

Does he paw while waiting for his feed, or while eating his feed? When he digs in his pen, is he digging holes?

 

[Riverrose28]

I had a mare once that would paw when in the stall, I tied soda cans all over the wall and when she would paw the sound would scare her and she would stop. Don't have a solution for a colt that is outside.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Sounds like maybe this guy is bored. Bored, bored, bored! Some horses are just so busy-minded that they are bored no matter how many toys you give them and how many buddies they have. Can you clicker train him towards some other behavior that is incompatible like standing on a mat or lifting a hind foot and holding it up? Then when he starts to paw you can redirect him to this other behavior and maybe break the habit.

Leia

 

[ruffian]

I don't know of anything that will stop pawing. I have several that paw and just had to make sure to have a rubber mat under their food dish and the rest I didn't worry about. I always had to make sure to drop their heels as much as possible.

I myself wouldn't attempt to tie anything to their legs to stop it. I think that would mess them up mentally and wouldn't help the pawing.

 

[rubyviewminis]

He is a busy body, but very loving. The only time I am not doing something with him and the girls is when its really bad out. He loves the snow and uses his nose like a plow running in it. They are trained almost every day (I hate to ever see a horse of any size never get touched and stand all day in a small pen) with all ground work/manners, and I vary it, tricks with new things, taking long walks (for my health) when the roads are clear, children stop by and groom and play with the minis, and there is no way he is bored. He is so good for clipping, hooves, anything you want to teach him. He doesn't dig holes, and when fed it is on rubber mats and I put him now in a smaller pen with a matted area so I can keep an eye on him and try to find something to annoy him to quit. I don't think something harmless meant to irritate while I watch would make him a mental case.

Clicker training is a very good idea, thanks! I might add some of that to my arsenal of things. I forgot that we have a lot of material out in the garage to make an obstacle course that can be changed up for when the snow quits flying around here. I know that will help.

The winter weather and mats has helped a lot. After I posted I went out to clean and trim hooves, and coincidentally noticed the toes have grown some finally. He paws the most while eating, impatient little guy, but like I said he paws like a puppy or cat investigating everything. Every weed, object, killing feed bags, playing with the others. He doesn't strike and is very respectful, and the kids that come to play and groom the minis love Gem

I do think I will have hubby cement in a single metal post and put rubber matting around it in an area shaded and convenient to tie him. Then he won't have anything to wear his hooves. Oddly he never paws in the horse trailer when we take him anywhere. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[vickie gee]

You're not alone. I have a colt that paws at his food dish. He will end up with a foot in the deep hanging dish and if I put a shallow one on the ground he will turn it over. He also cannot stand to eat without pointing his rear at me. Today I started pushing his rear away from me and keeping pressure on his hip with my hand so that he could not point that rear at me. Dominance issue?? I also have a mare that I stall to feed since a couple of the queen bee mares steal her food. She is only 29" and an easy target to bully. BUT, when she is through chowing she starts clanging the stall with her foot loud enough to wake the dead

. Guess she thinks I am her personal waitress.

If she could talk she would say "IT'S ABOUT TIME!" Sounds like your guy is bored and/or impatient. Like people, that do have their own personalities........

 

[wildoak]

I feel your pain lol. Have had several pawers, big and small. On the big mare many years ago, my farrier put horse shoes around her fetlocks with the heels bent in just enough to keep them from coming off. I hated it, they rapped her on the fetlock whenever she pawed....but it controlled the habit. She was doing herself enough damage that we had to do something. More recently I had a mini gelding who was pretty incorrigible too. We tried everything, including glueing shoes on him just to try and get some toe growth again. He knocked the shoes off in less than a week. Sorry to say we never found a good solution for him. He is no longer being shown & stalled, so it's not an issue now. His stall was matted, but he liked banging on the gate - bruised his feet and made LOTS of noise lol.

Jan

 

[chandab]

On the big mare many years ago, my farrier put horse shoes around her fetlocks with the heels bent in just enough to keep them from coming off. I hated it, they rapped her on the fetlock whenever she pawed....but it controlled the habit. She was doing herself enough damage that we had to do something. Jan

We went through this too, and farrier recommended same solution, it did work. And, for one mare after wearing her "shoes" a couple times, all I had to do was set them out where she could see them and she didn't paw (she was very busy and hated to stand still, so she thought standing tied was pure torture

).

 

[txminipinto]

We had a show mare that would paw and wear off her toes. What fixed it was putting a kicking chain on her front leg. The problem with trying to train the action out is you have to be there ALL the time. With the kicking chain, she punished herself every time she pawed and eventually stopped. You have to stall with this sort of method because you don't want them out walking around with the chain on. Its for stalled and standing tied use only.

Of course this is extreme, but the mare was wearing off so much hoof she appeared club footed if we didn't.

 

[rubyviewminis]

Well thanks everyone! This one isn't stalled, but I have to separate everyone for feeding time, tho they all have hay in their shelters free choice. Yes, he was really wearing them off something terrible. I have lightweight chains I thought about using to discourage it while feeding, and yes I have to stay out there. I am going to try little hobbles tho, after training with them so he doesn't trip, and only use when eating grain time and when I have to tie, in which I am always there. At least until we can get a metal pole installed with mats around it and a tie ring bolted. That is what we did with our biggies in the past. Then he can paw the mat, or move all he wants when tied. He never pawed tied before. I am thinking of putting some "Icthin Post" pads on it too for scratching.