That noise a gelding/stallion makes when trotting...

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_jetset_

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From his willy area...

What exactly is it? People have said it is air, others that it is dirty.

Can someone shed some light on this...

Troy made the noise today when I was trotting him up
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My boy does it when hes excited, so I suppose it could be a stressy sort of thing as he doesnt do it all the time. Its a good thing for me as it warns me of a potential spook
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I was always taught it was a dirty sheath, but had a lesson at old yard after cleaning it, bailey made that noise and instuctor said it was due to tension. Would make sense as it only happens sometimes and normally when he is tense.
 
oh I never knew that, I always thought it was because it was dirty. George was doing it last night some of the time - probably because I was lunging him in the pessoa and he really just wanted to have a hooley!
 
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i have a metal gate-post that whistles on windy days! lol

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*splutters coffee all over laptop*
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Yes I think its air too, but again have also been told tension (why would a yearling without a care in the world be tense? Maybe he knows what you have planned for him
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My oh's old horse had an oinky willy, while my mare would "grunt" when trotting up hills.. it was the perfect backing to "Two Little Boys"! which we sang at the top of our voices whilst riding through deepest, darkest Brixton!
 
I remember a horse "oinking" back when I was learning to ride, he was the only horse I heard making that noise, and I [and a few others] were convinced it was his saddle bouncing up and down on his back - in all the years I've been around horses he's the only horse I can remember hearing making that noise, he was a flighty begger so it might have been tension..
 
If it was just a pocket of air without cause, would it not make a noise permanently? I'm sure it is a pocket of air that actually makes the noise but something must be causing it.

It is normally triggered when the horse feels stressed or some form of tension. I would say it is something to worry about in that the horse is telling the rider something.

It may be that some horses who continually make the noise may have created a habit rather than it be indicative of permanent tension/stress/excitement. But if people take the time to observe when and where the horse is doing it, if they do it intermittently, then they may notice a cause which will then help them with their riding. For example see if they stroke the horse's neck or drop back to walk and the noise stops.

My horse has grubby bits and to be honest I have never cleaned them, he has only made the oinking noise once and that was just before he went XC and was particularly stressed. I have had him 3 years and know him inside out, that is why I can be so confident in saying the noise is generally stress/tension/excitement related.

I have also noticed the noise in other horses who I know well, again they only makes it at certain times under certain circumstances.
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Its a bit like a mare which has had a few foals, they can suck in air behind! often have a caslick operation to stop this, so i suppose its how big the sheathe pocket is to how much air gets sucked in and squidged out again!
 
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If it was just a pocket of air without cause, would it not make a noise permanently? I'm sure it is a pocket of air that actually makes the noise but something must be causing it.

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You're correct, it is trapped pockets of air which develops when the horse is tensing it's muscles and concentrating on the job in hand. When the muscles move, the air literally pops as it breaks free of it's capsule.
 
That is probably going to sound really sill but I really like that noise
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I had two show-jumping stallions and they both made the noise when schooled, jumped etc but only in trot.
The explanation I recall from a vet was that it is the air being sucked due to excitement but not necessairly connected with negative tension. One of my horses would work beautifully relaxed and would still 'play'
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The very old horsemen saying which I was once told is that only brave horses make the noise but that's of course just a saying
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The very old horsemen saying which I was once told is that only brave horses make the noise but that's of course just a saying
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That would make sense as my lad is a complete wuss and never makes that noise!
 
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The very old horsemen saying which I was once told is that only brave horses make the noise but that's of course just a saying
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That would make sense as my lad is a complete wuss and never makes that noise!

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Ditto!
 
I asked a vet once. Apparently it is to do with slack muscles that are "holding everything" in place. In some horses the muscles are weaker than in other horses. Air gets trapped between the layers of muscles and as the horse trots the air is forced out. Hence the noise. Nothing to do with being dirty at all.
 
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