Why does he do this?

I think its linked to being restricted whilst eating. Their nature is to be free to roam and graze, eating from a bowl is highly enjoyable and the horse's autonomy is denied, so if the bowl is removed, they can't follow it.
So I think, its an unconscious worry that the bowl could either be taken away at any time or another horse might take it and the restricted horse wouldn't be able to fully defend the food.
 
My horse raises a foreleg as you feed her and then for the first 30 or so seconds of eating her hard feed. The only other time she does this is when she's impatient to come in from turnout (usually due to shight weather) and you're not as quick about getting her as she would like.

I think really, we should just hold up the QI "nobody knows" cards. Lots of hypotheses, but I doubt anyone knows for sure.
 
My old share mare does this while eating. I think for her it is an expression of enjoying her food rather than stress.

She does it with a bucket feed, a carrot or other treat, and also with her treatball!

Doesn't do it for boring hay though! Only for the good stuff.
 
My horse doesn't do this, but I know a few who do - I assumed it's because they can't stuff it down their face fast enough!
 
My mare will pick up her front leg snd sort of quiver it although doesn't properly paw when eating. I think for her its a frustration thing as she tries to door bang sometimes when feed is coming (has a chain with an open door - foiled :p) and if she get frustrated and wants something she'll paw. Even when ridden if she really wants to go she'll do it. Whats really interesting is its always the same leg.
 
We have a mare that lifts her leg, just prior to being fed.

I think it's a behavioral thing, she does it just prior to being let in from the field as well.

I think she associates lifting her leg followed is by something she finds pleasant or a desire she has, being imminently fulfilled.

There could be a little frustration in there, things not happening as swiftly as she would like.

I've seen other horses do this, I feel that it is a behavior horses use to express themselves, but it means different things to different horses.
 
I have one of these.

She takes 2 or 3 mouthfuls and then starts pawing, knocks her feed everywhere but then continues swinging her leg around. She paws in the stable, tied up, in lorry too. Only time she doesn't paw the ground is in the field. She will also do it ridden, if I am standing still for too long.

Have always put it down to impatience. I have started feeding from the floor now and she doesn't paw when I do this.
 
My gelding does this and I was told that it's a displacement activity. Horses are naturally nomadic - watch them grazing in the field, they are never stationary; they'll eat a mouthful, move a step or two, eat a mouthful.... Holding the leg up/pawing the air is the only way they can express this need to move when fed from a stationary object such as a bucket.
 
My guess is impatience/frustration (at not being able to wolf it all down fast enough). My 2 yo is the only one I've ever owned who does it and he has done from six months old. Hard feed only though. The only other time he does it is when he is bored if tied too long, or having a little testing moment and can't get his own way!
 
Both of mine do this - I have no idea why but I am sure my husband standing on the sidelines shouting 'kick it! Go on kick it harder! It's laughing at you, kick it!' really helps :D
 
Ethel waves her leg as soon as her bucket is put down and switches legs. She does it for a minute or so and then stops, never touches her bucket with her foot, shes too greedy to waste food! She does also do it when tied up or kicks her door when she's in so its likely to be impatience with her. I dont mind her doing it when shes eating, but any ideas on how to stop her scraping when tied up or in her stable would be appreciated! She drives me mad!
 
Mine does this. He has his feed in his stable and starts pawing and then gets the food bucket and drags it with his nose to the back of the stable. He never seems to lose any, it just seems to sit on the top of the bedding while he eats it. When he was younger he used to chuck the empty bucket over the stable door when he had finished feeding. Now he just seems to squash it flat.
 
Mine also does this & shovels it down so quick, its as though she thinks every meal is her last! She also paws the floor & kicks the door when she knows its feed time :( I see it as an impatient thing. No idea why she's like it.
 
tinap said:
Mine also does this & shovels it down so quick, its as though she thinks every meal is her last! She also paws the floor & kicks the door when she knows its feed time :( I see it as an impatient thing. No idea why she's like it.
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Well I'm going to experiment this evening, will post if anything changes if I tip the food out on the floor and spread it around a bit.
(can do this as the floor is rubber and they are hardly in the shelter except for feeding dinner).

Just wondering if the "putting the head down into the bucket" makes them feel vunerable?
 
No idea my 4 year old does this .... usually ends up with his dinner all over the floor must be a baby thing...but saying that my 22 year old cob on loan does this..so maybe they pick it up from other horses sometimes? :)
 
tinap said:
Mine also does this & shovels it down so quick, its as though she thinks every meal is her last! She also paws the floor & kicks the door when she knows its feed time :( I see it as an impatient thing. No idea why she's like it.
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I had to put 2 big rocks in mine to stop him eating so fast, I was worried he would choke..it has slowed him down but he still kicks his legs around while eating :)
 
When we got her she was so messy eating, dropping all her food & it would end up everywhere. I presumed she was desperate for her teeth doing so had the dentist/vet out. She had a rasp & a blind wolf tooth out & although she's not quite as bad, she's still a very messy eater. The dog loves it because as she chucks/spills/drops it everywhere, he hangs about for all the scrags ;)
 
This evening I put the food on the floor, spread out a bit.

Huge difference in behaviour.
Much calmer and no pawing. No snatching great mouthfuls and no ears back.

The other pony she shares the field with was pawing away, so tipped her bucket out as well.
It was the quietest dinner time ever.

Will try again tomorrow and alternate over a few days to really check. It might have been that they were both in a mellow mood tonight.

If it looks like it's working, thinking of getting a kind of large, shallow tray.
 
Seen lots of horses do this. We had a pony years ago that used to do it too.
None of my current horses do it though?
My TB used to chuck it all over the floor then eat it :rolleyes:

I thought it was enjoyment thing?:confused:
 
Mine decided to wolf it & choke tonight :( bloody horse. Luckily it wasn't too bad & she managed to shift it after what felt like the longest 10 mins. Her feeds always soaked too :(
 
Mine often dangles a leg without pawing,did go through a stage of digging his bed up while eating)dug through a deep litter shavings bed!) but he's the least food orientated horse I've ever encountered,with very little appetite or interest in hard feed! I've had him from a youngster & he always has to have a fixed corner manger or a bucket that fits on a door or he just puts his feet in feed buckets or knocks them over(then won't even consider eating off the floor) I did notice the digging was really bad when he had gastric ulcers so assume it was discomfort,once they were sorted he just waves a leg about without digging.
 
My lad does it when he wants something. One example, I was filling his water bucket, he 'wanted' it so begged for it, another, he see's you have a carrot, he 'wants' it.. He communicates pretty well :)
 
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