Hiccups?

[HannahFowler]

Question! ..went to the stables tonight got my horse in, gave him a feed and left him for a bit while i did other things then went to turn him out. Walking him to the field he was fine and then i got him into the field and he began to flick his tail and he started making hiccup sounds. I didn't want to just let him go so i brought him back in his stable and monitored him for a while, he seemed to be fine and was eating as normal. I've come back and researched horse hiccups and noticed its called Thumps.. but this sounds very serious on websites i've looked at and its just worrying me. I'm going down again to check him in a bit to put my mind at rest. Basically i'd just like to know if this is normal? and could he just have had a mild case of thumps? and its nothing serious? He's not done this before so it was completely out of the blue!

 

[ThePony]

I would give your vet a ring - ours will call back out of hours to chat through worrying symptoms if you aren't sure it is an emergency. I would do that to put your mind at rest and get your horse the treatment he may need.

 

[VoR]

One of mine got them all the time particularly when he got a bit excited (hunting, SJ, etc.....funny enough never dressage!).
Was advised to use electrolytes in his water, so far no more hiccups, but worth getting the Vet to have a look, cause for yours may be different.......having said that the little s*ds won't do it when the vet's about of course!

 

[Mari]

My mare gets hiccups quite often. We are used to it now & it doesn't bother her or me. They stop after a while.