Posted 2009-06-07 4:23 PM (#106090) Subject: Pawing in Water Tank
Regular
Posts: 63 Location: Eagle, Idaho
My horse has learned to paw in the automatic waterer after 8 years. The tank is concrete and it's about 20 inches tall. I laid a couple of logs on the ground in front of the tank so he has to stand back away from the tank to drink. This worked for a couple of days. When he decides to paw in the tank he gets dirt and shavings in the water and splashes water everywhere. Do any of you have suggestions how keep the horse from pawing in the tank?
Posted 2009-06-08 5:29 AM (#106103 - in reply to #106090) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Veteran
Posts: 270 Location: Roanoke IL
Mine would paw the rubbermaid tank I got. She eventually got sick of it. I tried sitting in a chair nearby with a whip in my hand and when she went to paw it, then I raised holy heck with that whip. I think your horse might just be bored. Is it hot where you live? Mine started doing that in the hotter months of the summer.
Posted 2009-06-08 9:01 AM (#106112 - in reply to #106103) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Regular
Posts: 63 Location: Eagle, Idaho
My horse is recovering from a check ligament injury so he's confined to a paddock that is about a half acre. Usually he's allowed access to the foothills to graze every day and has a pasture mate that is dominate that gets turned out with him. So I know he's bored. It is sometimes hot where I live in Southern Idaho.
This horse has about a week to go before he's back to his usual routine.
I was thinkin about some kind of barrier by the tank that would be tall so he can't get his foot in the tank. The tank is in a fence line so it waters a horse in the paddock next to the pawing horse. I'm so glad it's concrete--I can only imagine the damage he would do with a less durable one.
Posted 2009-06-08 8:12 PM (#106137 - in reply to #106090) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522 Location: Tucumcari NM
Set some posts at the corners of your trough and build a timber fence or a pipe fence that is about three feet tall. Your horse can still reach the water but three feet is tall enough to disuade any pawing.
Posted 2009-06-11 12:11 PM (#106307 - in reply to #106090) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Elite Veteran
Posts: 662 Location: Vanzant, Missouri
I had 2 weanlings that use to do that. My TWH loves to see me fill the stock tank then he takes his big ole head and throws it in the water and just slings it every where. But don't sling any at him.
Posted 2009-06-11 10:07 PM (#106333 - in reply to #106090) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Member
Posts: 36 Location: Wellington, Texas
Have a couple of young mares that were raised on a irrigated bermuda grass pasture. The irrigation is from a center pivot which has drops every 5 feet. Any time the pivot is watering they would spend a lot of time in the water whether winter or summer. Also noticed both of them watering at a dirt tank. They both will paw so much that any other horse very close at all will get drenched. A barrier like Marla said sounds like the best problem solver.
Posted 2009-06-14 11:46 AM (#106430 - in reply to #106307) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
I've got a 4 ft long by about 2 1/2 ft tall water trough and my 2yr old would hop in and lay down. She finally got to big to fit into it. I was always worried she would get stuck or pull something trying to hop out.
Posted 2009-06-14 11:51 PM (#106441 - in reply to #106090) Subject: RE: Pawing in Water Tank
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
I have got two TWH that will do this when it gets real hot. They take a bath and cool off. It's funny and cute, after a while it gets to be a pain in the butt. I don't have auto waterers so I use the empty trough as time for fresh water. Unfortunely that is just about everyday in July and August. One is a Mare and the other is a new Gelding I just got and dog gone it he ain't supposed to do that...LOL I just roll with it. I do have one that will also bary her face up to her eyes. I have only caught her with her feet in the trough a couple of times. Oh well, just life with horses. No issues with baths at all. They love it and will stand still as can be enjoying every minute of it.
Pawing in Water Tank
My TWH loves to see me fill the stock tank then he takes his big ole head and throws it in the water and just slings it every where.
But don't sling any at him. 
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