Stoppin The Pawin?-Long

gotpaints · Postby **gotpaints** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:41 pm

I have a 2-year-old that paws like none other. I've tied her up almost every day since the beginning of June and as long as I am sitting there or not around she is fine but god forbid I ride my other horse when she's tied up or do anything else. Tied her to my trailer yesterday and she was almost perfect, a little pawing in the beginning but she stopped after about 2 minutes then I went into the house and she stood there perfectly for the rest of the time. Fast forward to today, I tied her to the trailer while I rode my other horse and she pawed the trailer and the ground next to it, I have nice little scratch marks on my trailer now from her. I have tried hobbles and she was fine in them for a while (she did fine for about a week in them) and then she broke them one day throwing a temper tantrum because I was out riding my other horse. Last summer I had the same problem with her but not as bad as this year. I can't stay outside and do random stuff the whole time she is tied up because I tie her up for a long time most days (don't worry, she gets water every hour or less) and there's just not that much stuff to do. I want to start hauling her with me but she's freaks out if we take the other horse away and starts pawing like none other making as much noise as she can and tries to dig to china. I think the problem originated from my mom giving her attention whenever she would paw to try and get her to quit which just led on to her making more noise whenever she didn't get the attention even though she doesn't get attention when she is pawing most times. I am sick and tired of it and want it to be gone. How can I stop it WITHOUT hobbles, since she has proven those don't work for her.

Tiz · Postby **Tiz** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:49 pm

Why are you tying her up? Seems alot to ask of a 2 year to stand quietly for hours. Ever sat in a corner as a small child? For hours?

gotpaints · Postby **gotpaints** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:55 pm

Tiz wrote:Why are you tying her up? Seems alot to ask of a 2 year to stand quietly for hours. Ever sat in a corner as a small child? For hours?

Because going to shows she has to be tied for hours. I keep forgetting this is a racing board and people don't understand how most shows (especially barrel races) are run. Tying teachs a horse patience and if they ever have to be in a tie stall it makes it it so much easier on them. Go to an open show sometime and you'll see tons of "babies" tied up. Not all horses are pampered like tbs.

habitat · Postby **habitat** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:42 am

hello gotpaints,

try leaving something with your scent on it behind with her, something you wont mind if it gets thrown on the ground or stepped on. If that doesnt work then try something with the scent of her favorite stable mate.

Tiz · Postby **Tiz** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:18 pm

I have been to shows, but haven't seen horses left tied for hours. If they're being groomed, yes, but either they are in the ring, waiting for their turn in the ring, or they are back in their stalls.
I tie my racehorses, and I understand the patience aspect of it. When they paw or fuss they are ignored. When I have a bad one, I make sure to untie them as soon as they quit, and build from there.

Discovery · Postby **Discovery** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:34 pm

gotpaints wrote:
Tiz wrote:Why are you tying her up? Seems alot to ask of a 2 year to stand quietly for hours. Ever sat in a corner as a small child? For hours?

Because going to shows she has to be tied for hours. I keep forgetting this is a racing board and people don't understand how most shows (especially barrel races) are run. Tying teachs a horse patience and if they ever have to be in a tie stall it makes it it so much easier on them. Go to an open show sometime and you'll see tons of "babies" tied up. Not all horses are pampered like tbs.

I might have taken this the wrong way, but the way you wrote this came off as rude.

I'm not a racing person, and if I go to a show I never leave a horse tied to the trailer with no one else there. I think it can be dangerous, anything could happen to spook the horse (even a calm, sensible one) causing not only damage to the trailer, but injury to the horse...I've seen it happen.

Not trying to start and argument, just defending those who don't leave their horses tied unattended....it's not merely because they are pampered.

casallc · Postby **casallc** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:43 am

This is going to freak-out a lot of "Dr. Spock" kind of trainers but if you put a small dog collar above the filly's knees and tie nuts & bolts from strings on them, it will stop her. When she paws the bolts will crack into her shins, she will figure out not to paw the ground (unless she just likes a little pain). Now, flame away at me.

P.S. Ranch horses in this country are sometimes tied all day, and are expected to be there when the owner gets back.

Tiz · Postby **Tiz** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:42 pm

Ranch horses are usually tired enough to appreciate standing around.
If you do the nut and bolt thing, make them small, and don't leave the strings that attach them very long. Same principle as kicking chains, just a different end.

gotpaints · Postby **gotpaints** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:33 pm

Tiz wrote:I have been to shows, but haven't seen horses left tied for hours. If they're being groomed, yes, but either they are in the ring, waiting for their turn in the ring, or they are back in their stalls.
I tie my racehorses, and I understand the patience aspect of it. When they paw or fuss they are ignored. When I have a bad one, I make sure to untie them as soon as they quit, and build from there.

Have you ever been to a rodeo? Many places have no stalls to keep the horses in. Heck, alot of the horses are tied all night at the trailers. Since I rodeo for a living I can't have a horse that I have to stall every time I go somewhere. I can only think of 3 rodeo grounds around here that have stalls we can keep horses in out of the hundreds that I go to.

Tiz · Postby **Tiz** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:04 pm

Are you kidding me????? No pens? No alternative to leaving a horse tied to a trailer all night and most of the day? That's wonderful. I'll bet when it comes time to use them, they really give it their best, too.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:25 pm

As a pony club kid, I went to all kinds of shows, gymkhanas, clinics, etc. Our mounts were often left tied for hours on end.

On week-long trail rides, horses are picket tied at night. It is very important for a horse to learn, as a youngster, to tie well.

horsenuts · Postby **horsenuts** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:38 pm

madelyn wrote:As a pony club kid, I went to all kinds of shows, gymkhanas, clinics, etc. Our mounts were often left tied for hours on end.

On week-long trail rides, horses are picket tied at night. It is very important for a horse to learn, as a youngster, to tie well.

Exactly. A good cow horse will stay where you leave him until you return. Horses are "here to serve" not be "served" whether some people like it or realize it or not.

gotpaints · Postby **gotpaints** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:17 am

Tiz wrote:Are you kidding me????? No pens? No alternative to leaving a horse tied to a trailer all night and most of the day? That's wonderful. I'll bet when it comes time to use them, they really give it their best, too.

They do give it their best because they love it. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it isn't right or "nice". Don't flame something you don't know.

gotpaints · Postby **gotpaints** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:21 am

horsenuts wrote:
madelyn wrote:As a pony club kid, I went to all kinds of shows, gymkhanas, clinics, etc. Our mounts were often left tied for hours on end.

On week-long trail rides, horses are picket tied at night. It is very important for a horse to learn, as a youngster, to tie well.

Exactly. A good cow horse will stay where you leave him until you return. Horses are "here to serve" not be "served" whether some people like it or realize it or not.

I agree. My good horse will stand all day if I ask her too, even without being tied. It's called ground tying. Heck, I left her standing at the gate of an arena once while I spent 15 minutes helping catch a loose horse one time and she didn't move one inch.

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:00 am

I can see how the disparity in horse communities makes it hard to completely understand where the other person is coming from. I rode/showed/jumped Thoroughbreds throughout my childhood. Initially, though, I was introduced to riding through the Quarter Horse community. I then joined 4H where my fellow members rode an amazing variety of breeds. We were too young to have any idea that different "rules" applied to different breeds. Therefore, they were all treated pretty much the same, with the same expectations behavior-wise. My ex-racer trail-rode, tied to the trailer, ground-tied and came to have excellent manners all while performing at high-level shows.

Naturally, when I re-entered the horse world -- this time through people involved in the racing community-- I was surprised at the low expectations many people seem to have regarding their Thoroughbred's ground manners. I'm sticking to my upbringing and training mine with the same expectations I had as a child. I believe that's what the majority of people do -- it doesn't make it wrong or right, as long as your horse is happy and healthy. We need to be more tolerant of other horse communities' processes and training.