Horse that stamps

[goodcompanion]

I have a horse that stamps the floor and bangs the barn door when eager for food. It’s really annoying and also likely to destroy the new barn door soon. Any ideas to train her out of this?

[Carl Russell]

Erik, is it only when she is waiting or wanting to be fed? or something like “scratches” that causes her to stamp a hind foot, almost involuntarily? The scratches can be treated, however I must say I have had only mixed results.

The “feed me” stamping, (and Pawing?) I’ve noticed is a kind of boredom thing. I used to keep my horses in a lot and found the stamping and pawing annoying and perplexing. Now that they are out except in freezing rain, “they don’t stamp the barn floor”. They also aren’t inclined to stamp when in.

I was told to solve the “feed me” behavior by not going to the barn only at feeding time. In essence ignoring the message and presenting yourself as having other things to do there, “it’s not all about you honey!”. It seemed to have worked.

This may not help, but it is my experience. Carl

[Anonymous]

Hi Erik,

I have had the problem in the past and am dealing with it right now in one of my new mares (she is the more nervous / uptight one). Though I haven’t got it totally licked, I think I am making good progress with her, here is what I’ve done: When she stamps at feeding time, I call her name sharply and ask her to relax. She usually stops, but may start again. This is repeated two, maybe three times. If she continues, I call her name again and throw a small pebble at her hind quarters. Mind you, I am not beaming her with rocks, just enough of a thing to get her attention from a little ways away. Another thing is to NOT feed her grain when she is misbehaving. I tell my horses that their poor manners at feeding time are their plea to skip their grain, and I will, on occasion if I can’t get their cooperation.
Conversely, I worked for a gentleman years ago where as soon as you’d enter the barn, a din would rise of horses hoofs banging on their mangers. The gentleman’s response was to get them their feed as soon as possible to quiet the deafening racket. Naturally, this encouraged the behavior.

good luck.

P.S. could you please let me know when you are harvesting winter wheat or rye? I’d love to see your binder in action before taking ours into the field to harvest our oat crop this year. Thanks, David

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