Does anyone else's horse do this sucking thing? With vid

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Bojingles

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(NOT PORNOGRAPHIC!!, obviously, although you'd think it was if you googled it ;))

After a meal or a tasty treat the comedy cob sucks and sucks like this, for hours, often until she falls asleep. Her foal did it too. I've never seen it before - anyone else got a sucker??

 
It's weird isn't it! It's always after nice food - she gets totally blissed out doing it! She and the foal would stand there doing it together looking like a right pair of dopes :rolleyes:
 
my share horse does it when I put the bit in his mouth or after a treat, apparently its cause he was taken away from his mum too early!
 
It's hard to tell from your vid, but is it like this?


We had two on the yard that did this. Always after food, but at other times aswell, and always in the giraffe pose. Both liveries. The one in the vid has now moved, the other is still there. I'd never seen it before in my life, and then we got two at once. Figured it was some kind of windsucking, but couldn't get a straight answer from anyone as to what it was.
 
Our 4 year old who was rejected as a foal & hand reared sticks his tongue out a little & suckles, we also have at the yard a rejected foal & one who was orphaned at 10 days this year both have been hand reared, the rejected foal does it but the orphaned one doesn't.
 
Yes! A Shire horse I used to work with done exactly this after eating his dinner for about 10 minutes. I had never seen it before so glad you posted the vid!

He would suck for about 10 minutes then afterwards just lick his mouth/tounge once or twice and then go and eat his hay!
 
My tb does it after juicy treats like fruit or veg, he sticks his tongue out a little too. Makes me wonder now with all the people who have said about horses who were weaned too early or rejected.
 
Loving Gypsy's tongue trick!!

AllierSV, it's not quite the same as that; she doesn't open her mouth at all - it's more like someone sucking a sweet. Give her a carrot or an apple and she goes into a sucking frenzy :o

Some interesting replies - it does look very much like suckling, like a comfort thing, a bit like a kid sucking its thumb. Interesting too that there's a theme with foals being weaned early. Her foal did it too buy may have been copying?
 
It's an oral stereotypy, just like windsucking or cribbing (but because it doesn't cause any damage people think it's funny or cute). It seems to be linked to digestive discomfort... people say their horse does it "after eating" - but I have yet to see a horse do it after eating grass, hay or haylage. They only do it after something sugary. Abruptly weaned foals do seem more likely to do it - but only because they're also more likely to have digestive problems.
 
Brightbay said:
They only do it after something sugary.
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Mine seems to be related to water content i.e. juiciness so he'll do it after celery say but wouldn't after a polo. A fresh rosehip gets a response but a dried one doesn't. Despite being 10 he is also quite babyish in his behaviour and a bit mouthy with objects generally.

He also licks my jacket in a repetitive way if he's feeling a bit insecure so I also wondered if it was related to being anxious at times.
 
blucanoo1990 said:
Not seen that before but there is a horse on out yard that almost windsucks. He put his head in and gulps air almost like if he was using a fence or door but isn't!
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Think this can sometimes happen when a horse that windsucks is kept in a field completely enclosed with electric fencing. This can be their solution to having no post/door to windsuck on.
 
Brightbay said:
It's an oral stereotypy, just like windsucking or cribbing (but because it doesn't cause any damage people think it's funny or cute). It seems to be linked to digestive discomfort... people say their horse does it "after eating" - but I have yet to see a horse do it after eating grass, hay or haylage. They only do it after something sugary. Abruptly weaned foals do seem more likely to do it - but only because they're also more likely to have digestive problems.
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Hmm, that's interesting and a bit worrying too! Mine does it most "enthusiastically" after sweet things, but also when she has a feed of just dampened HiFi or even HiFi Lite. Do you have any more info or links?
 
I have a 25 yr old who does it and sticks his tongue out about 3 inches whislt he does it. He does it afer treats and drinking. He only started a couple of years ago.

The others just manically lick after their treats.
 
I don't have my copy here to check, but I thnk it's covered in Sue McDonnell's The Equid Ethogram in the chapter on Aberrant Behaviour.

There's two kinds, one seems to be associated with drinking, and the other with eating. Both HiFi and HiFi lite contain molasses ;) so that still counts as more sugar per mouthful than grass or hay.
 
Our old pony used to do the tongue thing after a Polo. Just a few extra lip licks. Definitely not windsucking. My friend had a pony who sucked Polo mints and his tongue came out whilst he was doing it. He didn't ever crunch them. How can THAT be winducking :confused:
 
Pinky94 said:
Have one that does similar at the stud I work at. She sticks her tongue out a little though.

She was a hand reared foal.
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I had one do exactly this, also hand reared. After a feed or polo, or anything tasty he would stick his tongue out just a little & suck, a real look of bliss on his face.
 
Brightbay said:
It's an oral stereotypy, just like windsucking or cribbing (but because it doesn't cause any damage people think it's funny or cute). It seems to be linked to digestive discomfort... people say their horse does it "after eating" - but I have yet to see a horse do it after eating grass, hay or haylage. They only do it after something sugary. Abruptly weaned foals do seem more likely to do it - but only because they're also more likely to have digestive problems.
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My hand reared 4yr old doesn't just suckle after eating he will just do it randomly. He also does it after eating anything, including hay. He is quite odd though.
 
Dear all my 12 year old cob seems to suck his tongue after eating and then flexes his neck and makes a small little nay afterwards. Afterwards he's completely normal and goes back eating his hay. Its almost like he gets sailva in his mouth and swishes it around his teeth, he doesnt open his mouth like windsuckers its really weird. Yesterday however I found him doing this in field , wondered if it's through boredom as well so I bought him a treat ball and he started doing it after treats. I've had the vet check and she seems to think it's just because he's enjoying his food??? Thoughts on it people please .
 
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I knew a horse that did this (suck tongue after eating anything sweet) and was told it was "searching for the flavour". I can't remember the technical term (I'm sure there was one) and Google is not helping. Its the same as a child who carries on sucking on a lolly stick long after any flavour is gone.
 
I can't view the video as won't load but what your describing sounds just like what my TB x WB does!

She does it after hard feed / treats and likits. She was hand reared as her mum passed away. I had thought could it connected to stomach ulcers or another underlying problem, what's people's thoughts? Just a habit or more to it?
 
Spike sucks his tongue after anything sugary, and he has ulcers. I still wouldn't rule out habit though. If the horse is comfortable otherwise, I 'd not be worrying unduly
 
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