Horses paw with their forelimbs for several reasons. It can be a sign of frustration, impatience or anxiety.Some horses habitually paw when they are anxious for feed, while they are eating, or when they are tied or trailered. Pawing can also be a sign that is a horse is about to lie down and roll for pleasure. Some horses enjoy pawing in water and in preparation for lying down in water.

As a behavioral problem, pawing can be an annoying and damaging habit. In rare cases, horses traumatize themselves through constant pawing against unforgiving stall walls and floors.

Importantly, however, pawing is a classic sign of abdominal pain (colic). In this case, there will usually (not always) be other signs like lying down, kicking at belly or looking at the side. If you are not sure why else a horse is pawing, always consider colic pain as the cause.