pawing/hoof up

[XjenX]

My horse keeps lifting one hoof up n keeping it there while she is eating it's not exactly pawing she just lifts it up n it stays there while she eats she doesn't do it when I'm in stable it only starts after I shut stable door. Does anyone know y she is doing this it doesn't seem aggressive behaviour n she only does it with her hard feed not hay

 

[fatpiggy]

Its just a stress reaction. My horse did it for the first year after I bought her. I know nothing of her past but can pretty accurately guess that it hadn't been very good and she probably had been somewhat neglected so she relished her food. She was also quite aggressive when she had a bucket under her nose for a while - totally different to her eventually revealed gentle, kind nature who would let her friends share her food (although she always preferred to share hers of course). Interestingly, many of the ones I have seen do it are arabs or part breds. Just ignore it.

 

[Crosshill Pacers]

Interested at the idea that it's a stress reaction. I have a homebred mare who does the same whilst eating, and she only gets occasional hard feed in the field; she's done it all her days. Her two sons do the same, although only whilst turned out and eating hard feed and not whilst stabled.

I also have a mare who paws the ground whilst eating and her daughter who we bred does the same thing. I put it down as a habit which the mares had taught their offspring before they were weaned.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

i dont think its stress just a habit.

my 3yo KWPN does it too

 

[Kezzabell2]

my youngster always kicks his bucket when he eats!! when I first got him I tried everything to stop it but nothing worked!! he doesn't do as much now but still does it a few times per meal!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Two of mine do it, and I had been told it was more to do with that they are naturally grazing animals and so on the move when eating, therfore it's their way of 'moving' whilst eating? It could be seen maybe as they are 'stressed' that they are not moving whilst eating I guess? My two both love their food and have never been neglected so I can't imagine its from previous bad experiances, I see it as fidgiting they are both a bit daft .

My little PBA however used to back barrel when eating, regardless of if you were there or not, and is still quite protective of her food in the stable but only to other horses not people. She had a slightly more checkered past with not always been fed or tended to every day and also suffered from ulcers, so her behaviour was explained from that and she is much better these days. She has never pawed, kicked or messed with her bowl interestingly, just been defensive of it.

x x

 

[WandaMare]

I agree it seems to be a fidgety thing, a mixture of excitement and tension. I can't imagine my cob type doing it because she is laid back and it would be far too much effort, but my pony mare does it and so have other more 'busy' types that I have owned. The mare I have that does it now, did it much more vigorously when I first got her, she would sometimes put her foot into the bucket, but as she has settled in she does it less frantically and sometimes not at all. I don't think its anything to worry about.

 

[Micropony]

My 4yo does it, paws at his food bowl and holds a foot up. Eventually flips the bowl and eats from the floor. It's all forage based so theoretically "chew time" should be extended, but he loves his grub and makes pretty short work of it!
I have known him since he was 2 and certainly in that time he's never been kept hungry. And he is an incredibly laid back little chap.
My understanding was the same as AlexHyde's, that they are evolved to walk and eat simultaneously so pawing and leg waving is a way of compensating.

 

[Cortez]

I have one who lifts his leg and "begs" when he wants to come in.....or go out.....or in anticipation of food, or any time when he wants something or is impatient. He's quite imperious and I think it's just him being demanding.

 

[Pie's mum]

I have one who lifts his leg and "begs" when he wants to come in.....or go out.....or in anticipation of food, or any time when he wants something or is impatient. He's quite imperious and I think it's just him being demanding.

Me too!! Pie taught himself to beg because I used food rewards to teach him to pick his feet up (used to throw me across the yard when I first got him). Somewhere along the line foot up = reward became 'if I want something my foot comes up'. It's funny because he's generally a very polite unassuming kind of horse, not one to demand - but he stands there quietly on 3 legs looking hopeful.
He also waves his leg when he finds a particularly yummy bit of his dinner - if I put carrots in it his foot comes up every time he finds a bit.

 

[Cortez]

Me too!! Pie taught himself to beg because I used food rewards to teach him to pick his feet up (used to throw me across the yard when I first got him). Somewhere along the line foot up = reward became 'if I want something my foot comes up'. It's funny because he's generally a very polite unassuming kind of horse, not one to demand - but he stands there quietly on 3 legs looking hopeful.
He also waves his leg when he finds a particularly yummy bit of his dinner - if I put carrots in it his foot comes up every time he finds a bit.

Yes, mine's a very, very polite gentleman too. Quite an endearing habit.

 

[AppyLover]

Mine paws at his food bowl (have to move it along the fence like as he digs himself a hole and i always almost step in it and almost fall face into mud) and has ever since i've had him he also paws when he's been tied up for awhile which i've just put down to his baby brain. I know one that actually sticks his foot in his dinner bowl and paws (they are low sided big rubber type things) and always tell him your meant to eat it not fill your hooves with it lol

 

[[100323]]

One of my ponies used to paw badly when having a bowl feed. Eventually I changed his bowl for a bigger but lower bowl and it stopped, as he could get at his feed easier.