Young mare pawing at the ground.

[BeBopTalulah]

My 4 year old mare can get impatient if made to stand. She paws the ground or lifts either front leg up. Her dam did exactly the same thing (she has since passed away a few years ago ) and was a very impatient horse. I don't think she's had the opportunity to 'learn' this behaviour from her mother, so is this just inherited character? What is the best way to deal with this? She doesn't mess around or nap, but if I were to stop on a hack for a blether she would eventually start pawing in frustration. I would like to try and stop this before she makes it an unbreakable habit, and/or starts digging up people's driveways!

Thank you.

 

[Suziq77]

Mine used to do this - I managed it by tapping her shoulder lightly and walking her forward / in a small circle and then standing still again, while saying "now we're not going to australia today are we?" as I moved her on. I don't think the words helped other than making light of the situation! Basically try not to ge frustrated or react obviously and she should just grow out of it as she gets more used to having to stand still when asked to.

 

[Samantha008]

Mine does it to get my attention

Shes such a madam. Ive tried many things but doesnt seem to work- shes a very expressive horse though :/ and there have been a few occasions where shes dug up some ground. Though she never ever did it riddennnnn....

 

[Enfys]

Just sounds like impatience to me.

I would try a slap on the shoulder, or a sharp "Oi" if she were mine and the moment she stood still I'd walk her on again, then I'd stand her still again.

Different things work for different horses though, I had an arab that wouldn't paw, but he'd piaffe, beautifully, and he'd do it for ages, on a loose rein, he just couldn't stand still, he knew he should but the energy had to go somewhere, I let him do it, no point fighting it never worked with him.

Some just don't seem to get any better with age, this is a new pony I had in 2 days ago. This behaviour is sheer annoyance at being taken out of the paddock and tied up. Quite an impressive temper tantrum, I just sat on the feed bin and watched her, after 10 minutes she gave up and stood as quiet as you like. She pawed, and bounced and yelled etc, knew exactly what she was doing and how far she could go on the rope.

 

[LittleWildOne]

My 2 year old filly does this when she is tied up in the yard, or when I'm leading her and stop. I don't say anything to her, I just stick my foot out so that she bumps my foot with her leg. She stops pawing as soon as she bumps me, then I praise her for not pawing (scratch on the neck). I can't see that she has inherited this from her dam, as dam is a wild living New Forest pony, as was my filly just before I bought her. Neither would have had any reason to paw through impatience, but may have done if there was a lot of snow on the ground and they were digging for grass. But then, the wild living forest ponies supplement their winter diet mainly with gorse.
I think with my pony, it's just frustration rather than impatience.