Can you stop this behaviour or is there nothing to worry about?

RuthnMeg

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2009
Messages
3,502
Location
North Dorset
Visit site
My 9 month old NF filly foal has bad table manners! She can not eat her tea without holding a front leg up and waving it about - often to the point of seemingly losing balance. I understand that she probably wants to eat faster - greedy pony syndrome? I was just curious to know if this is a habit she will/might grow out of or is it a habit that I can stop? I have to tie her feed bucket to the fence or she will send it flying (unless I have a firm grip on it myself!) I put that down to being playful perhaps? She only gets 1 double handful of s youngstock mix with a sprinkling of chaff and a chopped carrot. Neither of the other two have these habits, and I know her mum didn't either - so where did she get these ideas from??? lol
Thanks in advance.
 

Flowers187

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 November 2010
Messages
296
Visit site
my pony does it and shes 9 :rolleyes: , I heard somewhere that apparently they do the whole wavey front leg thing as a sort of dominance thing, as if saying, this is my food. Erm that or she just really likes her tea! She should calm it down abit as she gets older (maybe :) )
 

navaho

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 April 2009
Messages
1,311
Location
West Wales
Visit site
Im afraid to say she'll probably always do it, no idea why they do it, some horses do some dont. We had a little TBx filly foal & she did it from day one of having food, but her mum did it as well, so i guessed its something they just pick up. One thing is for sure it is really annoying, as they end up destroying buckets & sending their dinner flying as well!
 

Lurky McLurker

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 July 2010
Messages
324
Visit site
I used to know a 17 year old pony that did a similar thing - he would paw ferociously at the ground and at his bucket while he ate. No harm ever came of it, if he tipped his bucket over he just had to eat the rest off the floor! His fieldmate did pick up the habit though, and continues to do it even after being moved away from him, so be aware that it might be contagious... :p
 

Happy Hunter

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 April 2010
Messages
1,713
Location
MiddleSouthShires
Visit site
My foal/yearling used to do this - then stopped aged 19months or so.
i wouldnt say its a 'bad habit' - I might be buying a few rubber feed buckets though!!!

Probably nothing to be done - God forbid you hold back the food asking her to stop - i should imagine she would only get worse!!!

will probably grow out of it when she realises that food times come quite often and she is usually left alone to get on with it :)
 

Cuppatea

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2010
Messages
3,879
Location
by the Irish sea
www.facebook.com
we have a TB filly that does this, we have pretty humungous buckets though so she usually ends up standing right in it wondering where her food has gone. We're not worried by it, they often grow out of it or if they dont just get the feed bowls that go inside tyres.
 

Dancing Queen

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2010
Messages
2,133
Visit site
Its because they are enjoying their food - nothing to worry about - a sign of contentment. I used buckets which hang over the stable door - prevents food going every where are buckets getting trashed! xx
 

Jesstickle

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 December 2008
Messages
12,299
Visit site
My big brown horse does this and also pushes the bucket about really violently with his nose inside it. I assume that as his full brother also does it that they learned it as foals. Doesn't seem to cause a bother for either of them so I just ignore and feed from a rubber skep.
 

AndySpooner

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 August 2005
Messages
737
Location
West Yorkshire
Visit site
Really don't think it's anything to worry about, we have one that does a similar thing when food is involved. Putting the bucket in a car tyre often stops them spilling it.
 

RuthnMeg

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2009
Messages
3,502
Location
North Dorset
Visit site
I wouldn't dream of taking her food away as a 'lesson'! Sure it would make her worse, as in most horses too. I was just curious to know if it could be stopped and how - if at all. Seems like only time will tell, and maybe a 'feed bucket' fund is in order! lol I've thought about the tyre bucket thing, something I will do if my invention of tying it to the fence no longer works perhaps?
 

monikirk

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 July 2010
Messages
365
Location
Norwich
Visit site
My eight year old Friesian waves his foreleg around when there's any food about. Actually I don't mind - quite endearing really - he's never nasty or likely to hurt anyone.
 

RuthnMeg

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2009
Messages
3,502
Location
North Dorset
Visit site
Mouse does this. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'm assuming she's not colicky or anything so it won't be doing her too much damage.

Would putting it on a door help though?

All living out - and tried Megs bucket which hooks over doors or fence, Penny gives that a flying lesson too - hence why I tie her bucket to the fence... its working for now, but the front leg waving madly about still! lol
 

frankie8

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 March 2008
Messages
137
Location
East Sussex
Visit site
It's their way of coping with their frustration of not being able to move, as they are designed to constanly be on the move as they eat. Nothing to worry about-totally natural :)
 

Queenbee

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 August 2007
Messages
12,020
Location
Cumbria
Visit site
My 9 month old NF filly foal has bad table manners! She can not eat her tea without holding a front leg up and waving it about - often to the point of seemingly losing balance. I understand that she probably wants to eat faster - greedy pony syndrome? I was just curious to know if this is a habit she will/might grow out of or is it a habit that I can stop? I have to tie her feed bucket to the fence or she will send it flying (unless I have a firm grip on it myself!) I put that down to being playful perhaps? She only gets 1 double handful of s youngstock mix with a sprinkling of chaff and a chopped carrot. Neither of the other two have these habits, and I know her mum didn't either - so where did she get these ideas from??? lol
Thanks in advance.

My mare used to do this ALL THE TIME! Her previous owners had a herd of nearly 30 horses and they reckon she learnt it from Sarason their 'boss' horse, he used to wear his front shoes through really quckly so they tried to nip it in the butt, they used the rope end of a leadrope and tied a knot in it, they would stand by her when she ate and every time she went to do it would flick the offending leg with the leadrope and growl at her, in the end she stopped it, once in a blue moon she will 'very daintily' pick the leg up now (she is 17 this year) and I just have to growl at her and she puts it down. It is fixable and I would fix it before it becomes a bad habit! :)
 

Box_Of_Frogs

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2007
Messages
6,518
Location
Deepest Wales
Visit site
It's a displacement activity hun. Horses have evolved to eat on the move, ie a step, a mouthful, a step, a mouthful etc. Some horses are closer to this hard wired behaviour than others and the waved foot at feeding time is just the tail end of an unconscious step. It's not dominance. Dominance would be ears flat, stamp a leg at you, even lunge towards you. Don't take her feed away, just smile and love her and shake your head and say, it's the zebra in you, ponio. She may grow out of it a little as she matures but hey, so what if she doesn't.
 

ruscara

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2005
Messages
8,298
Location
hampshire
Visit site
It's a displacement activity hun. Horses have evolved to eat on the move, ie a step, a mouthful, a step, a mouthful etc. Some horses are closer to this hard wired behaviour than others and the waved foot at feeding time is just the tail end of an unconscious step. It's not dominance. Dominance would be ears flat, stamp a leg at you, even lunge towards you. Don't take her feed away, just smile and love her and shake your head and say, it's the zebra in you, ponio. She may grow out of it a little as she matures but hey, so what if she doesn't.

I absolutely agree with this! A sensible, informed reply :)
 

Tinypony

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 December 2006
Messages
5,211
Visit site
I agree with Box of Frogs as well. It would be unfair to do anything to try and intervene in this. If she's being fed in the field in company she may also be a little bit anxious, but if she's getting her food then it's not the end of the world.
 

MochaDun

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 September 2009
Messages
14,584
Visit site
I was always told that sort of "pawing" was a natural behaviour based on not being able to move when eating as Box of Frogs says..mine does it occasionally. I've seen a horse at our yard that does have issue with people being near it (and other horses) when eating its feed in its stable and it's a totally different response - ears back, head swinging, tail swishing and if that's ignored - kicking out and squealing sometimes. In that case it's best to put the food down and leave the horse in peace to eat.
 

Adina

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 July 2008
Messages
314
Visit site
I have a rising 3 CB filly who will often pick up a foreleg when eating. But the odd thing she does is - roll. After finishing she will try to roll on or near the bowl. She only does it if the ground around the bowl is good for rolling on. If the bowl is on poached or deep mud she doesn't do it. Also she doesn't walk away to roll after eating. Do any other horses have this odd behaviour ? I've never worried about it, just a quirk she has. She lives out with others so not sure if she would do this in a stable.
 

tristar

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 August 2010
Messages
6,586
Visit site
try giving her a small feed of hay half an hour before the bucket so she's not so ravenous when the bucket arrives, i would'nt take the bucket away in case she bangs her leg or foot against the wall.
i have one who used stomp on the bucket and send it into orbit, but he seems to have got over that stage.
i feel a bit like that when my dinner is late!
 

michellev123

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 January 2010
Messages
586
Location
Suffolk
Visit site
Oscar does the same as well; sometimes throwing his bucket across the stable and having to chase it!! I dont mind; although I have notcied he is worse the longer I make him wait for it (i.e. if its already in stable he isn't as bad as if I make him back up and wait 5 seconds..... heaven forbid if he has to have manners!!!) :) Its his quirk! I would be worried he was off colour if he didnt do it! :)
 

honetpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2010
Messages
9,058
Location
Cambridgeshire
Visit site
I have 8 horses and ponies and it seem to be more of a pony thing. Small ponies like NF, welsh etc tend to live out in herds and soon learn to defend their food. When you feed him do it where he does not feel somone is going to steal it, and to him this could mean you, so it may be better to leave him to eat in peace.
If you are feeding inthe field I would take him out to give him food. I also think they prefer a wider shallow bucket as mine like to eat the good things first and rummage around and save the 'orange creams' till last and a normal bucket doesn't give them much room to do that.
 

silverstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 July 2007
Messages
1,527
Visit site
Nothing to worry about at all. My gelding did that, well he used to lift his foot up and wave it around but not with the intention of hitting anyone.
 

RuthnMeg

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 September 2009
Messages
3,502
Location
North Dorset
Visit site
It's a displacement activity hun. Horses have evolved to eat on the move, ie a step, a mouthful, a step, a mouthful etc. Some horses are closer to this hard wired behaviour than others and the waved foot at feeding time is just the tail end of an unconscious step. It's not dominance. Dominance would be ears flat, stamp a leg at you, even lunge towards you. Don't take her feed away, just smile and love her and shake your head and say, it's the zebra in you, ponio. She may grow out of it a little as she matures but hey, so what if she doesn't.

Thankyou for your reply, a very imformative answer. I am not worried by her table manners behaviour, just don't want it escating into something (somehow) uncontrollable. If that makes any sense?
She is a very good little young girl, I can groom her and check her feet any time I want, even if she is eating, and without a head collar (I choose not to during feed times mind, but I can do it if I wanted). She is polite and easy and Iam thrilled with her calm attitude. Part of me wants time to speed by now 3 years so I can see what she is like when she is more mature!!
 
Top