Why Do Horses Paw the Ground?

If you’ve ever seen a horse start stomping their feet on their cross-ties or in their stall, you may wonder, “Why do horses paw the ground?”  

Pawing the ground is a natural horse behavior that can indicate many things, including excitement, frustration, boredom, curiosity, fly annoyances, and sometimes pain. It’s important to learn how to recognize these potential problems to nip this behavior in the bud. 

What Does Pawing Behavior Mean in Horses?

Horses use pawing to communicate with each other and with people. Gentle, infrequent pawing is a normal way a horse may interact with their environment and express their needs. 

However, when pawing becomes more frequent or aggressive, it can signal a few different things, including:  

• Anticipation of a meal or turnout 

• Stress release when bored 

• Fear or pain 

It can sometimes be difficult to determine the cause of pawing, so it’s important to interpret this behavior while considering what else is going on. If your horse is pawing, assess other factors that may be at play, like: 

• Time of day (feeding time, turnout time) 

• Presence of flies 

• New shavings in a stall, or a field or area where they like to roll 

• Lack of enrichment or too much stimulation 

• Traveling 

• Signs of pain 

7 Common Reasons Horses Paw the Ground

1. Anticipation or Excitement 

Horses often paw in anticipation of an activity or if they know they might be going somewhere. This typically happens just before feeding, turnout, or riding. 

2. Attention-Seeking Behavior 

Horses are very intelligent and they quickly learn that pawing gets a response from humans. If they realize that pawing gets them attention or food, this can reinforce the behavior and turn it into a bad habit. 

3. Stress, Anxiety, or Frustration 

Domesticated horses live very different lives compared to their wild counterparts, and ​​these changes (such as living in stalls, being ridden by humans, and eating grain and other concentrates) can lead to increased stress. Horses may paw in response to stressful triggers, including:  

• Confinement (e.g., no turnout due to bad weather) 

• Social isolation (being away from their friends for medical reasons) 

• New or scary environments (such as horse shows and trailers) 

Anxiety-driven pawing is often accompanied by pacing, weaving, or other behavior issues. 

4. Boredom or Lack of Mental Stimulation 

Horses may paw when bored. For example, a horse who is on stall rest might stand at the front of their stall and paw the ground. You can help prevent boredom by giving your horse toys to play with. 

5. Physical Discomfort or Pain 

Pawing can be a sign of pain, such as poor saddle fit, orthopedic pain, and especially colic.  

If pawing is accompanied by any of the following, contact your veterinarian right away: 

• Lack of appetite 

• Pacing 

• Rolling 

• Biting at their sides 

• Lethargy 

• Decreased manure output 

• Repeated stretching 

• Increased respiratory rate or heart rate 

• Absence of gut sounds 

6. Digging or Exploring the Ground 

Pawing is an effective way for horses to explore their environment, and it’s seen in both wild and domesticated horses.  

Horses will use their hooves to move shavings or earth around to create a more comfortable area for rolling or lying down. Also, they may paw to move hay or grass around to get to more desirable parts of food. 

7. Fly Relief and Thermoregulation 

Irritation from flies is the most common reason for horse pawing. Horses’ skin is incredibly sensitive, and one of the easiest ways to shake loose irritating bugs is to paw or stomp.  

Additionally, horses may paw to cool off by splashing in mud or water. 

How To Tell the Difference Between Normal and Problematic Pawing

Most of the time, a horse pawing is not something to be overly worried about. But there are times when pawing can indicate a severe medical concern, such as colic, or simply just bad behavior. So how do we know when to be concerned?  

Ask yourself the following questions when deciding if pawing warrants a call to your veterinarian: 

• Is this a situation in which my horse typically paws (e.g., before a meal or turnout time)? 

• Are they pawing occasionally, or more aggressively or frequently? 

• What is the rest of their body telling me? Watch your horse’s body language. Pinned ears, a raised or clamped tail, stretching, or a dumpy or stiff posture can indicate pain. 

• Are they in their stall or out in a field? Are they near their friends or standing apart? 

• Are they ignoring their food? 

• Are there a lot of flies in the environment? 

If you have concerns or your horse’s pawing seems out of the ordinary, it’s always a good idea to consult your veterinarian and have your horse checked to make sure pain isn’t the cause. 

What To Do if Your Horse’s Pawing Becomes Excessive

Rule Out Medical Issues 

Colic is the number one concern for a horse who’s pawing excessively. Since colic has the potential to become life-threatening, monitor your horse closely and inform your veterinarian promptly.  

If you suspect your horse is colicking, remove their access to food and make sure they are in a safe place ​​​​if they were to go down to roll. Consult your veterinarian before giving any medication or initiating any colic treatments. 

Reduce Stress and Anxiety 

If your horse’s pawing seems stress-related, there are many actions you can take.  

If possible, start with adjusting their amount of time in the stall. Increased turnout can reduce stress significantly.  

Also, ensure herd relationships are not causing undue stress. Just like people, not all horses get along with each other. 

Provide Mental Stimulation 

Enrichment activities for horses can help reduce stress and boredom. These include increased turnout, varied training, trail rides, or other activities that change up your horse’s daily routine.  

Some horses can’t have more turnout or riding, or they need to be separated from others for medical reasons. In these cases, consider treat toys, hay nets, and other forms of enrichment to help prevent boredom-related pawing. 

Don’t Reinforce the Behavior 

Pawing to get attention or food can become a bad habit that’s very difficult to break. When it isn’t related to a health issue, the best way to address unwanted pawing is to ignore the behavior and give your horse attention, treats, and rewards only when they’re standing calmly and displaying positive behaviors. 

Implement Training Techniques to Stop Pawing 

Increased groundwork and in-hand training can be useful in dissuading attention-seeking pawing, as they help build trust between you and your horse.  

Positive reinforcement techniques are best because they decrease a horse’s stress and help build the trust bond, leading to a horse who’s more willing to work with you. 

To decode pawing behavior in your horse, work with them and get to know their body language, routines, and habits. If you ever have a concern that your horse’s pawing is abnormal, consult your veterinarian.