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What's the best way to keep a anxious mule from pawing the ground when tied to a hitchin post, or tree?

Hobble him. Some guys who camp with horses on National Forests will put hobbles on horses that paw when tied up, especially when camped for the night. It will leave a lot nicer camp site.

I would get him in an open area and break him on the hobbles first. I can be a rodeo when you hobble one for the first. They work well though.

I would try to fix it at home first. Especially with a mule they need to learn to be tied and when it is time to relax

Tie him up for short periods of time and observe him. If he starts to paw untie him and put his feet to work. Mules are smart and he will figure out it quickly that it pays to stand still versus moving his feet. Hobbles also work.

Work him!

All very good advice and work will fix just about anything. I know a very wise cowgirl who told me all that fancy homework stuff is well and good sonny but ain't nothing replaces miles to make a real broke critter. After all this time I find that she is still right.


I do have a suggestion that I use on some of these nervous in service hole diggers.

Hobbles are great but you got to watch them like a hawk or even after they have had a few soft ground homework sessions they will get pissed and blow the cork and cause a wreck.

I take a single leg strap cuff with a ring and buckle it about 2" below their knee it may slide down some but the chestnut on the inside of the lege should stop it. I then attach a length of 1/4" or 3/8" chain on this just long eneogh that when they go to pawing it will flip up and rap them on the pasterns. Critters usually have a favorite digging leg so start there and when they get sore and switch to the other you can switch it over or start out with one on each leg but I have found that usually isn't necessary. It might take a little while and they might lose a little hair but they will get the idea pretty quick. this also work if you got a pounder in the trailer.

I feed my horses a lot of post oats... By this I mean I leave them standing tied a lot of the time and I don't mean just an hour or two now and then. I will work them pretty hard come on back and instead of just pulling the saddle off and giving them a bath and a nice meal, I tie them in a safe secure and shaded spot loosen the cinch(but not too much!) you don't want that saddle slipping under them and getting kicked to pieces. Tie them high, secure and just leave them. Check on them routingly the first few times and they may dig and fret some so just realize with a shovel you can fill the holes and let them stand. Before long they will get there , settle down, cock up a back leg and get a siesta and life will be good. this is also good for keeping them wanting to run like hell when you tirn them for home. In fact at times if I get one like that I will just ride right on byt the place and go at a brisk gait for another few mile and circle back around and if they still want to rush to the barn I will make them work some hard circles as i get closer and harder as i get closer and then ease up and move them away again. When they finally settle down i ride back tie them as described before and let them stand. Thsi take a little while and some effort on your part but before long a whole lot of that silly $hit will just go away.

A little side note here: some team ropers are good hands and some are not worth a dang but one thing almost all of them have in common is they have horses that will stand tied to the trailer or fence for hours while they boss works the chutes, drinks beer, eats burgers and tells lies. LOL!

never seen chestnuts below the knee be carefull leaving something to bang around in hopes of a cure on the determined pawer you can still use him till he quits but who cares if he dont paw if he has ringbone and useless

Fats,

Good catch on the chestnuts many times my typing challenge gets in front of my anatomy.

Yes you don't want to leave it on.too long time or too big a chain or too long.

If you will look into the Horseman's scrapbook by Randy Steffan still available from Western Horseman press you will see an illustration on how to do it.

We have used this in many hunting camps over the years and I have yet to see it truly cripple a horse. Like a said a little lost hair some of the time. If you get a real owl head it may take another method. Running thru hundreds of horses and taking greenies to camps you try to choose the methods that work the most efficiently. But as we all know things can still go to heck at times but better the horse loses a little hair than cause a big wreck and hurt a person.

Another methods that woes is to take an old dog collar and place it right a over the knee and then attach a wood block a piece of 2x4 about 10" long to it with. Strap and let it hang down low enough it will whack him on the shin when they paw.

This is a little easier on them then the chain but it may take a bit longer. We used they chain because i learned it from an old mustanger and they used these clog chains around the Ankle with a strap to slow those mustangs down when they had to drive them first time or two.he said they were good also to,sideline them when you tie that back around to the tail. Leather cuff is a must and sheepskin lined would be better to keep them from soring. Move them well up above the knee and watch them.

A pawing horse is a lot like a crying puppy. It will get on your nerves and make you chew nails for a time but if you can hang in there and be persistent and just let them work it out before long they will get over it.

Good luck!

Mike, we use kicking chains on horses that pound the stall kicking or riding in a trailor. I've had horses that would pound the walls so bad, they could literally kick the shoes off in a couple of hours. Once they are chain broke, no problems. Dont see why it would not work for pawing but like said above, there is no substitute for riding the hair off of one.