How to Stop a Horse From Pawing in the Stall

One of the worst problems a horse can have is pawing, especially in a stall. Not only can this habit tear up the stall floor, making major repairs necessary, it can also cause injuries to the horse. These injuries can range from excessive wear of the hoof, if the horse is unshod, to bruising and damage to the knee joint if the pawing happens under the feeder. Since either of these scenarios can involve money and time to repair, it is essential to break this habit before it becomes well-established.

Things You'll Need

  • noise maker such as a bicycle horn or whistle
  • stall toy
  • horse shoe
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Instructions

  1. Easy Cures

    • 1

      Determine the reason the horse is pawing. Horses usually paw in a stall for two reasons: anticipation and boredom. Each of these requires a different cure.

    • 2

      Provide more time or a stall toy. Giving the horse more exercise time or something to relieve boredom usually stops pawing caused by confinement.

    • 3

      Do not give in to the horse. If the pawing seems to occur only around turn out or feeding time, do not feed or remove the horse from the stall while it is acting out. Doing so will only worsen the action as the horse will associate the pawing with getting what it wants. Once the pawing ceases, you may feed the horse or turn it out. Often a loud noise such as that made with a horn or whistle, will distract the horse long enough to feed it or turn it out.

    Stronger Measures

    • 4

      Find a horse shoe that has an opening just large enough to go over your horse's cannon bone.

    • 5

      Slide the shoe down the leg and over the ankle joint so it rests on the horse's pastern. Leave the shoe on the horse while it is stalled. Every time the horse tries to paw, the shoe will hit its pastern bone, thus punishing it for the behavior.

    • 6

      Check the area under the shoe for any cuts or excessive hair loss after it has been on the horse for awhile. If the area shows a bare spot or any injury, a larger shoe or bending the shoe out more may be necessary.