Used Home Gym Equipment

How do you correct this behavior?

Okay, my horse has a problem of pawing excessively in the cross ties. He does it more so after a workout knowing he is going to go back outside and get supper. I know he is just being impatient and letting me know he doesn't want to stand around.
But I was wondering what would you do to correct it.
Right now I am saying NO and giving a light tug on the cross ties -- it makes him stop but the minute I walk away he starts again.
Thanks!

Hmm...you can hit, smack, growl, yell at, hit him til it stings....and all these answers are....crapola.

All these people are doing nothing but punishing the horse for being a horse. Sorry, but that's lame-o.

If you want the pawing to stop, then stop rewarding his behavior.

You reward it by taking him out of the cross ties and taking him outside to supper. He's not stupid. He knows it's coming, so of course, he's like, "come on! hurry up!"

YOU caused this behavior. YOU have rewarded it. So, stop that! Maybe you should smack, yell at or hit yourself hard enough til it stings.....LOL

Seriously....

When you put him in the cross ties, don't leave him there forever. Put him there for a second, and before he starts to paw. Walk him around, then put him back on the cross ties. He'll understand that when he stands quietly, you're going to take him out of the cross ties.

Do that several times, then finally, one of those times....is the actual time he gets to go outside.

The thing is....he won't know what time he'll be let out. He just knows..."If I stand quietly, I get taken out of the cross ties." And because he can't guess at what time it is going to mean get to go to supper....he won't anticipate supper.

If you tie him in the cross ties and only remove him from them to take him to supper....duh...he's going to anticipate.

If you tie him in the ties and remove him and walk him around and tie him up in the ties again....he has no idea when it's really supper time. He'll want to stay quiet, because that gets him the reward of being removed from the cross ties.

Horses are not stupid. They deserve better than to be whipped with stinging crops, or smacked or growled at or otherwise treated as if they were as stupid as the people growling smacking, hitting them.

They learn the same as we do....condition response. That means....if you only release him from the cross ties when he's calm and quiet....he'll want to be calm and quiet. He'll make the decision to be calm and quiet.

If you just react to him....and he paws, and you react....then finally you take him from the cross ties....guess what? He learns you've got a crappy temper and he eventually gets set free and yeah, he'll keep pawing because he has not learned anything from your reaction.

At first, you'll find yourself putting him in and out of the cross ties several times each time....but then he will be able to stand longer and longer calmly....and then you remove him from the cross ties.....but NEVER take him from point A to point B (cross ties to the supper).....always, after removing him, walk him around someplace, then to the supper area.

If he paws at all (which he might) while in the ties...simply wait til he stops pawing...wait about 5 or more seconds....not shorter!.....then remove him from the ties. Don't remove him the instant he stops pawing.

If he paws a LOT....you can simply move him around. Move his hip around. Tap him lightly on the rump (don't whack, smack or sting) and "kiss" or cluck...and ask him to move the hip slightly left, then slightly right, again and again....then allow him to stand still. When he paws again, move his hip around again.

You're basically telling him, "when you paw, your butt has to move around." So..."when you stand still, you don't have to move around." Then apply the above lesson.

It's about TEACHING him what you DO want. REWARD what you DO want.

It's not about forcing him or treating him like an idiot.