Horse making a noise

[ycbm]

I have a horse making a noise that I have never heard before. He sounds as if he is sucking the back of his tongue up into the roof of his mouth and then releasing it. He isn't getting his tongue over the bit. He doesn't seem to have any trouble breathing or eating. He does it mostly on hacks and occasionally while schooling and I've never heard him do it when not being ridden. I've put a dentist gag on him and checked his teeth and they are fine.


Has anyone else come across this?

 

[stormox]

does he do it on inspiration, or exhalation? and at what pace/paces?

 

[ycbm]

I think he blocks his breathing by doing it, but my impression is that he he has to suck in breath to get his tongue to stick to his soft palate. I only hear it at walk, I'm pretty sure he never does it at any other pace. I have a vague impression that he started it as a tension/nervous thing and I'm keen not to let it become a habit. I'm thinking of trying a bit change, he's currently in a Jeffries copy of the MS Verbindend bit.

 

[Dave the dog]

He's discovering new and amusing tongue games Mine has recently started on off beat to fit whatever tune I'm singing as we hack out, just a bit of scatt.

 

[ycbm]

He's discovering new and amusing tongue games Mine has recently started on off beat to fit whatever tune I'm singing as we hack out, just a bit of scatt.

What song do you recommend ?

 

[Dave the dog]

Well, depends on the day, at a dawdle something from the ink spots, whispering grass or home on the range If he's stepping out then 'she gonna take sick and die one o these days' or the lullaby 'whose gonna shoe your pretty little feet' fits some times. At a trot it's big band time with me on the trombone, we like Count Basey and Joe Loss. I haven't got the wind to sing at the canter but if I could it would be something from the sex pistols Do you sing to yours?

 

[ycbm]

Well, depends on the day, at a dawdle something from the ink spots, whispering grass or home on the range

You what. ?

 

[Dave the dog]

It might sound mad ... we did the dam busters theme for most of a hack one time and himself put in the odd clamp on the bit or a bit of a shuffle at the appropriate moment, my riding has improved even tho his singing hasn't .... Got overheard by a gardener once who gave a round of applause, his Tallship was more smug about it than i was...lol

 

[Barnacle]

Oh my god... This thread is killing me! I need to start singing when I ride... See if the horses will join in

On a serious note, horses don't breathe through their mouths so if it's coming from his mouth for sure, I wouldn't worry too much - it's probably just a habit. Maybe just try to keep his mind a bit more occupied when riding.

 

[Dave the dog]

Today we will be practicing 'Life could be a dream, sh boom sh boom' in walk a and 'Mr Sandman (bring me a dream) in trot.

 

[Red-1]

I sing to mine when out riding. It is his rhythm, it puts a song in my head, so I sing it.

My fave was once the "Va Va Va Voom" song, that was from some radio 4 weekend program from my youth when mum would listen at the weekend. Of course it was not Va Va Va Voom on the radio, it was more classical, but as we were cantering Va Va Va voom it was.

I looked it up, it was from Desert Island Discs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMMS4I6f7o4

Other tunes have included adverts such as some breakfast cereal "Its tasty, tasty, very very tasty" in trot.

Unlike Dave I do not pre-decide what to have in my head, it is his rhythm that puts it there.

 

[Dave the dog]

Glad I'm not the only one I ride many different horses and the are all suggestive of genre or rhythm. It's the ears that crack me up they love it and I swear try to join in. My big fella likes 'three little birds' Fits in nicely with his head swinging lazy locomotion

 

[ycbm]

Bump, can anyone get us back to the problem of the noise the horse is making not the rider ?

It doesn't seem like a vet issue, but I would like some advice or info if anyone has any.

 

[tamsinkb]

Is it a recent thing, or have they always done it? If recent, I'd suspect something has irritated the back of the mouth/soft palate....if it is more longstanding, it may well be a learned behaviour..or they just don't like having a bit in?

 

[Dave the dog]

Bump, can anyone get us back to the problem of the noise the horse is making not the rider ?

It doesn't seem like a vet issue, but I would like some advice or info if anyone has any.

Sorry ycbm I'll start another thread, I hope your tongue sucking is harmless, He might be just enjoying the sweet iron and copper of the bit

 

[pennyturner]

Bump, can anyone get us back to the problem of the noise the horse is making not the rider ?

It doesn't seem like a vet issue, but I would like some advice or info if anyone has any.

One of mine does something similar for about 5 minutes after you've given him a treat - you can see his cheeks sucking in. Is he trying to get the taste from the bit, or a bit of grass out of his teeth?

 

[SuperH]

One of mine makes sucking noises on the bit when she wants a drink. She will also do it slightly quieter when riding now and again, she always looks happy when doing it, I think she just likes the sweet iron.

 

[LCH611]

We have a big gormless baby ISH who loves to slurp and play in his water bucket. he is also missing a front tooth and not only does he suck water through it, I have just realised that he also sucks the gap after he has had breakfast in the morning. He is about to come back into ridden work and I bet he will do it then as we have had problems with him putting the tongue over the bit in the past

 

[ycbm]

Is it a recent thing, or have they always done it? If recent, I'd suspect something has irritated the back of the mouth/soft palate....if it is more longstanding, it may well be a learned behaviour..or they just don't like having a bit in?

It's recent. He has been in work a year and a half and has been doing this for maybe two months. The timing isn't related to anything I have changed as far as I can remember.

 

[Annagain]

One of GG's liveries does something similar I think - but in the field. Might be worth PMing her?

 

[Goldenstar]

How old is he ?
Soft palate inflammation can make them make noises and that's common in young horses .

 

[ycbm]

How old is he ?
Soft palate inflammation can make them make noises and that's common in young horses .

He's five. I didn't know that. He has seemed a little flat a couple of times lately, maybe he has had a sore throat. Thanks for the info.

 

[ycbm]

Quick update on this thread. The horse has stopped making the noise, and I have not changed anything at all. He's bright and perky and from the info that Goldenstar have me, I think that he may simply have had a sore throat and swollen palate from a low grade virus.