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Discussion on Eating on 3 legs
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 11:35 am:
I don’t know if this question fits anywhere (everything in here is much more serious than what I have to post), but here goes…My horse does a strange thing when he eats his sweet feed--he holds one of his front feet up in the air while he eats. The hungrier or more excited he is to eat the higher he holds it up, almost like he’s going to paw only it just stays up. He doesn't do it when he eats hay off the ground. His dish is somewhere at the 3 or 4 foot level.
Has anyone else seen this before? Could it mean something? I’ve noticed he’s done it for at least the past year, but since he’s currently boarded I don’t always get to watch him eat and saw him doing it last night and remembered.
Thanks!
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 12:02 pm:
Hi CP, I've had quite a few horses that do this when they eat their hard feed. I think it's a sign of enjoyment. In my experience, the horses that do this are more of the "piggy" ones - no offence intended to your guy! - and the ones that aren't quite so food motivated don't seem to do it.
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New Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 1:09 pm:
Hello,CP...
I agree with Sue; it must be a sign of enjoyment...my mustang gelding stomps either a front or hind foot the whole time he eats his grain. Not to mention smacking! He is VERY food oriented, most likely because he was an orphaned foal and nearly starved. Carolyn Burton}}
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Member:
Cpacer
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 1:17 pm:
Well that sums him up pretty well (he's an ex-choker). I never would have thought about it being a sign of enjoyment, but I like this idea! He certainly does love food.
Isn't it great that no matter what quirk is reported on this site there's bound to be someone else with the same thing.
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Member:
Paul303
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 4:59 pm:
Me too. Got a mare that does it.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 5:11 pm:
Add me to the list of people with piggy horses that hold their feet up. I have one too! If it's a sign of enjoyment and food related, I'm amazed I only have one!
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Member:
Sjeys
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 9:04 pm:
I was wondering why my long yearling (just 1 of the 2) was doing this... she only stomps after she gets the grain...like you would expect them to do if being impatient, but since she's already eating, I just thought it was some kind of delayed response. You're right. She only does it with beet pulp (to her, its grain) and only the first half of the meal. I would love to see the holding up of the feet if someone could send a pic!
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Member:
Djws
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006 - 11:42 pm:
Picture this. Biv ROTATES holding each one of his feet up as he eats his Safe Choice. Usually starts with his left front, then right front, right rear, then left rear. IF he hasn't finished eating by the end of his "lifting cycle", he begins again. He is a certified piglet! I thought it was a sign of irritation (not getting a large amount of grain)...I, too, like the "enjoyment" explanation better. He also does his little performance when he gets warm bran mash (on Sundays) in the winter.
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Member:
Tangoh
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 8:36 am:
Add me to to the list. All of our twh's do this when they are fed their oats. They sometimes paw, but usually they just hold one foot in the air and kind of 'paw at the air'.
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Member:
Terrilyn
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 8:51 am:
My TB as well....right front first, occasionally giving that one a rest when he lifts the left front. I always considered it an expression of excitement and happiness. Bon appetit!
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 9:24 am:
This is very interesting.. My colt this year, yes the one that had the castration problems and before that at birth had to be pan fed for two weeks, PAWS when we first feed.. He started it when we were pan feeding him every 2 hours.. I thought GREAT, he is developing anxiety habits so young at dinner times.. At 5 months old he still paws when fed.. it does not last the whole meal, but he starts out every meal pawing while eating.. I too, would much rather think he is a happy boy ''purring'' while eating .. but really feel its a bad habit he developed waiting for the substitute mom to come to the barn and pan feed him.. 
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
Cheryl
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 9:33 am:
Fox holds her rf up - Robbie paws until he gets his feed then turns into a statue and doesn't come up for air until he's licked the smell out of the pan - I think a bomb could go off beside him and he wouldn't even notice - Lady DrOols waiting for her feed.
Cheryl
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Member:
Vickiann
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 10:44 am:
I have read that holding one leg up and then doing some pawing between holding it up is an act of passive-agression, and sometimes is done when a horse is feeling defensive about something. My riding team member's mare does this when she is tied to the trailer at places where she is hauled to work/perform.
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Member:
Zarr
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 12:50 pm:
Cheryl think I have your horses, love the licking the smell out of the pan!! Zarr goes one better if I'm late he starts biting his front feet while going in circles,yelling and kicking out at barn,yes I panic first time called vet he said "spoiled", not my horse! Was always told the pawing while eating was a baby thing!!Cindy
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Member:
Cheryl
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 1:26 pm:
Sham - a Saddlebred X I lost 12 years (that doesn't seem possible) ago would get his feed pan out of the stall and throw it over the fence toward the house if I was even thinking about not feeding on time. At the same time I had a TB mare who was a really hard keeper. I had to pour the feed in her. Sham being an very easy keeper just got a taste. When I would let Misty out when she was finished Sham would rush in to see if there were any crumbs - when there weren't - - - he took a dump in her feed pan. It was done deliberately - on purpose with malice aforethought. Absolutely - positively - he was NOT spoiled
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