How do I stop my horse wobbling his lip?

[Fools Motto]

Flapping his lips is fine - and seems like he is amusing himself. But, the sudden head shaking - it appears he is doing it involuntary to me. If he is only doing this when tied up, either with or without hay, then my first thought would be to ask you if stables been painted, any plants near by ect.. But you say he started doing this when ridden? I can't believe he is 'bored' when you are riding him? Try him in a nose net and see if it makes any difference.
I would certainly get a professional opinion on him, sorry.

 

[melbiswas]

My ex- racer wobbles her lips. It looks cute but when I was googling that and other odd things about her ( basically scaring myself in the process) I found references that said involuntary movements of the cheeks lips and neck can be found in horses with Shivers.

 

[ester]

I think some horses are quite mouth orientated and use it as a sort of self-soothing mechanism (a bit like a stereotypie). Our mare is very mouthy and likes nothing better than chewing on a leadrope for example but will also do other 'mouth' things.

I would probably try and use distraction techniques if he was mine.

 

[ridefast]

Have you looked inside his mouth?
When did you last get his teeth done?

 

[SpruceRI]

Does he only do it when he's wearing a bridle or headcollar? If so, that suggests that both are affecting a nerve/tickling him.

Try without a noseband maybe?

 

[TandD]

i knew of a horse that did this....but much worse

tb x, it didnt do enough work and would stand in its stable for hours wobbling its lips, shaking its head........it just seemed it enjoy the feeling.........

it was pretty mental and was pretty dangerous as horses go...... broke its handlers leg and double barrled someone in the stomach when clipping.....

 

[meandmyself]

How are his teeth?

 

[adamntitch]

i have seen horses do the lip smacking thing befoe but not the shaking part it does look abit like it just happens not like he means to do it

 

[zigzag]

A friends horse used to do this exactly like your boy but over a stable door, he started as a very bad winter and was in a lot, he then started to windsuck,

 

[Farasi]

I wouldn't worry about this. I've seen a lot of horses do this to a greater or lesser extent. Your horse doesn't look distressed by it. I agree with those who say its related to boredom and its just a habit. I think to get the vet out purely for this would be OTT. Lovely looking horse.

 

[TGM]

One of ours does something similar. He is a very mouthy horse (grabs brooms over the stable door, chews lead ropes etc) and was excessively stabled in his last home. He only does it whilst stabled (he lives out most of the time) and it is particularly frequent when food is in the offing, or he wants to go back out in the field.

 

[poiuytrewq]

We have a horse at work that does the exact same thing! He does it stood in his box in the morning before being worked. ( after work he has hay so I can't comment if he'd continue as he eats then)
I'd just put it down to being his thing as in some box walk, weave or windsuck he wobbles his mouth about? I may be wrong but we've never worried about it.
However he's just done it as long as anyone can remember.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It may just be something that this horse 'does' but experience has taught me that if something seems different or wrong, it probably is.
I would monitor this horse very carefully, keep a diary of exactly wehn he does it, what has happened just before /where he is/what tack he is wearing/what he has eaten recently and try to spot any common themes. You my be able to pinpoint the reason this way. If not, I'd ask the dentist/vet to have a look - it certainly looks like a nerve problem to me, as if the horse feels that something is tickling him.

 

[dollymix]

My previous loan horse used to do this. It was a boredom thing.

 

[Montyforever]

I knew a mare that did this wether she was in or out, tied up/wearing headcollar or not. She stuck her tounge out the side of her mouth while she was flipping it about too. She was a bit special bless her! I think it was just a stress relief/boredom breaker.

 

[Merrymoles]

Mine does it when he's stressed, for example if he is worried about being handled by someone new or if you are asking him to do something he doesn't quite understand, but agree that yours doesn't look stressed at all so worth getting some more advice I think - fingers crossed it's just a boredom "tic".

 

[FfionWinnie]

I think that is quite odd I'm afraid. Can you give him a haynet when tied up and see if you can break the habit? If you can't, I'd be worried its something other than just a habit I'm afraid.

 

[Toast]

I personally dont think it looks like anything sinister. Looks like he's just found an amusing way to entertain himself and its become a habit. i know of a few who do this, nothing neurological, it doesnt look involuntary enough to be neurological to me.

 

[poiuytrewq]

It may just be something that this horse 'does' but experience has taught me that if something seems different or wrong, it probably is.
I would monitor this horse very carefully, keep a diary of exactly wehn he does it, what has happened just before /where he is/what tack he is wearing/what he has eaten recently and try to spot any common themes. You my be able to pinpoint the reason this way. If not, I'd ask the dentist/vet to have a look - it certainly looks like a nerve problem to me, as if the horse feels that something is tickling him.

This is why I commented the one ive known has done it as long as we can remember- Id look into it if my horse suddenly started displaying any kind of odd behaviour.