Non windsucker makes weird gulping noise

[rmasterson]

I was grooming my horse's face yesterday when he made a weird noise somewhere between a grunt and a gulp. I thought initially he was in pain so I stroked him again on the face and down his neck and he made the noise around 10 times. An hour or so later he did the same, gulped/grunted when touched in the throat/side of face/neck.
The vet examined him a few hours later and he scoped clear and appeared to be fine and did not make the noise again despite my best efforts.
He has never windsucked and having had a windsucker previously I'm familiar with that noise.
I thought it sounded like a hiccup but that can't be it.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this?

 

[Birker2020]

I was grooming my horse's face yesterday when he made a weird noise somewhere between a grunt and a gulp. I thought initially he was in pain so I stroked him again on the face and down his neck and he made the noise around 10 times. An hour or so later he did the same, gulped/grunted when touched in the throat/side of face/neck.
The vet examined him a few hours later and he scoped clear and appeared to be fine and did not make the noise again despite my best efforts.
He has never windsucked and having had a windsucker previously I'm familiar with that noise.
I thought it sounded like a hiccup but that can't be it.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this?

It sounds like it could have been a burp/belch and is typical at this time of year due to the grass coming through and the gas this creates in the stomach. My horse does it sometimes, especially if he is colicky.

 

[AmyMay]

It's a form of windsucking - I had a horse that used to do it.

 

[forestfantasy]

Sounds like hiccups to me - horses get them just like we do

 

[crabbymare]

Sounds like hiccups to me as well I know of a couple who get it occasionally and it can be started by grooming in a different place when the horse is not concentrating and lasts for around 20 minutes.

 

[rmasterson]

The first thing that I thought was hiccups but had never heard of them in horses. I'm pretty sure the vet said horses don't hiccup but it seems they do. (Possible that he doesn't know everything?!) I rode the horse out yesterday and he was in top form with no strange noises to report. Thanks folks for your input!

 

[Birker2020]

Horses can also get a condition called thumps. This might be what you heard. This should be treated by the vet as it can be caused by a serious electrolyte imbalance in the body.http://www.horsehero.com/24687

 

[kerrieberry2]

I know an ex race horse that used to do the exact same thing when he was wind sucking, it was as if he was inhaling fumes from the wood like it was a drug! eventually, he broke his 2 front teeth off and couldnt do it anymore! the poor old boy