Franklin Levinson's
Horse Help Center
Professional support for you and your horse!
Pawing Solutions
I was home with a bad cold on the 23rd so I decided to do a Goggle search on how to get my two geldings to stop pawing. I bumped into your site and your solution of lunging them to break the habit. I trail ride and after working my pack horse all day in Hells Canyon on the Snake River to where I knew he was too tired to want to paw he will start. When he starts his buddy joins in. I believe in Treading Lightly so I get my hobbles out. His buddy will stop, but my pack horse will keep at it only using shorter strokes. His buddy now paws when I go out to feed them or when he is the last one to get to go out into the pasture to eat. I will give your suggestion a try. How would you handle the pawing while waiting to get fed?
My wife and I hope to get Maui on our 25th anniversary in four years. Riding your horses would be a great way to see some of your beautiful country side.
Thanks for the great web site and your suggestion.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Hello,
Happy New Year to you also.
Pawing is such a natural and habitual action, something that a horse does do in the wild often to show impatience or anxiety, that, other than hobbles, it is a tough one to modify. I like putting a horse to work to make what I don't want hard for the horse. Behavior can be altered through this method. When a horse is in a stable or similar environment it is helpful and relatively easy to change that behavior through lunging. You might try vigorously backing the horse a substantial distance and then tying him and standing by the animal in anticipation of him testing your resolve several times.
Sounds like you have a lot of fun with your animals. That is wonderful. Blessings to you for a terrific and horse filled New Year.
Sincerely, Franklin