DT :>How do you break your horses of pawing?
You probably don't once they've started.  The way to avoid (but you can never 
TOTALLY prevent) stall vices is turnout and more turnout and more work.  
Pawing, weaving, wood chewing, etc. are all the end result of boredom.  
Fiddle, for example, stall kicks...even with her stall door open and constant 
access to turnout, she'll go in her stall and kick the walls...especially at 
feeding time (g).  She developed the habit when she was young and I had her 
confined to her stall at night.  Wish I'd known then what I know now!  I'd 
have just let her range free all the time.
However, since most of us don't live in a situation where all day/night 
turnout is possible, there are a number of things you can do to help your 
horse keep from getting bored while confined.  Stall toys like the Big Red 
Apple, or my favorite, a big, plastic detergent bottle with a few pebbles in 
the bottom, making sure they get enough hay to keep them happy, lots of 
grooming and working time, etc.  Even then, there's no guarantee they won't 
develop a bad habit of some kind.  Some horses do, some don't.  Fiddle has a 
bunch (g), and Shiloh has none.....go figure!  Fiddle's and Arab and Shiloh's 
an Appyl....might be a clue in there somewhere (VBG).
Meg  
 
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