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 Veteran
Posts: 164
 
| My mare is 7 years old. I've had her since she was 4. She has the worst case of pawing and digging I've ever seen. I have tried everything I can think of and can't get her over it. Triggered by being in the trailer, being alone, being walked away from, being ignored, wanting food, etc. All the normal triggers..but it's all of them! Definitely a form of separation anxiety and nervousness/craving attention. I've tried tying her for LONG periods of time, hobbling, standing behind a wall and coming out to scold her when she does it, waiting until she doesn't do it then rewarding her, feeding her tied, small chains to her feet so when she paws they swing up and hit her (she didn't even notice OR care) and more. Just can not beat it. Doesn't matter if I ride the snot out of her then tie her and walk 5 feet away from her...she will paw and DIG A HUGE HOLE instantly. Even when hobbled, she will use the little range she has to paw and stomp. I'm so sick of her beating up my trailer with it and it's annoying at races for sure b/c she is in training and I'm competing on my gelding so I'll leave her tied to the trailer just for exposure/and for expo's and I walk away on my gelding and she freaks out. The new "tough-1" pawing bracelet things look somewhat dangerous and I'm reluctant to trying them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. |
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  JMHO
Posts: 1869
 
Location: Oklahoma | You can get an old shoe to fit and it'll bang as she paws but your not fixing the problem of getting her better broke. Sounds to me like she need miles and miles of riding along with confidence. Have you done any all day trail rides then tie her all night with hay and water and go again the next day? I know, most people don't have that kind of time. Its tuff. JMO |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| My gelding had this same problem this spring. Tried "everything" the paw bracelets were a waste of money. I put chains with a 8" tail on him. What seemed to work was when I tied him to a tree branch that was above his head and a few feet away from the trunk of the tree. I tied him with his lead just long enough that he could stand comfortably, but not put his head down. I left him tied this way for about 4 hours. So far he has not done any more pawing... If he will go back to it I'll put him back on the tree.
I'm telling you that he was digging to CHINA... I was afraid I'd go out one day and he'd have dissappeared.. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| My mare becomes anxious and paws (and climbs the side of my trailer) when her ulcers flare up. |
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Veteran
Posts: 164
| She is extremely broke as far as riding, ground work and everything. This is really her only flaw. She started as a reiner and cutter and we did some team roping and now I'm doing barrels. She was professionally trained by THE top reining and cutting trainer, Todd Bergen last winter so I know she doesn't need the riding. Before and after I ride her in the arena, we warm up in a field. We have 1800 acres of farm land so I pick different fields to ride her in and that gives her lots of exposure. It's so hot here right now I can't tie her all day or night. Wouldn't be able to hang enough water, and she gets so worked up and sweaty from it that I would feel bad. I did that a LOT a few years back and got no real results. Very temporary. A few months ago I tied her during the day. Even hobbled her all day. No results at all. Didn't do it at night though. I'd untie her around 10pm and then tie her back up at 7am. I've heard of the horse shoe trick but I just don't really understand that very well...could you explain it more? Thanks! Also definitely not ulcers as she does it every day in every situation and has been for the 3 years I've had her. Also, I can't leave her at the trailer because if she isn't allowed to paw, she will grind her teeth on whatever she is tied to. So my trailer is now missing large amounts of paint. Also can't be great for her to get paint chips in her gums....So now she gets tied to a steel gate with a rubber mat under her. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Just because she's done it every day for 3 years doesn't mean she "doesn't have" ulcers. My gelding that had ulcers is a nervous wreck and then grinds his teeth when his ulcers are needing treatment. The horse shoe deal is like the pawing bracelets. size the shoe to fit on the leg via the cannon bone and then it slides down around the coronet band and bangs them when they paw. My advice would be to tie her, yes I know it's hot, put her in the shade of a tree. hang her water OR just give in and get her a friend that is by her side always. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330
| LMS - 2014-08-07 12:09 PM
Just because she's done it every day for 3 years doesn't mean she "doesn't have" ulcers. My gelding that had ulcers is a nervous wreck and then grinds his teeth when his ulcers are needing treatment.
^Exactly. She could've had ulcers when you got her and they've never been treated so the behavior has always been present. Additionally, grinding teeth is a classic symptom.
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 The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | Paw/Kick chains. You can make your own. Place a dog collar loosely around her fetlock and attach a 16" piece of chain to the clip you'd normally attach the leash to. Whenever she paws or digs, the chain will smack her legs. She will stop. |
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Member
Posts: 43
| Yes Pawing chain-- the one I bought was like $10.00 little heavier chain about 8" long-- it closes with Velcro-- you put it above the knee tight so the chain hangs down. They will stop without you having to punish them. When it has fallen around her cornet band it still works but she has stepped on it with the other foot and almost feel down when she could not move her feet. I got it in one of the vet catalogs.. Good luck.
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 Veteran
Posts: 173
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow | Check for Ulcers and then add the training aids. She is either doing it because she is sick or ill mannered. I always go with eliminating the physical first. Once that is out of the way get aggressive from a training effort. |
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Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| horsegirl - 2014-08-08 7:59 AM Paw/Kick chains. You can make your own. Place a dog collar loosely around her fetlock and attach a 16" piece of chain to the clip you'd normally attach the leash to. Whenever she paws or digs, the chain will smack her legs. She will stop.
DId NOT work for my gelding. |
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