Why does he do this??!!..

[Natalie_H]

Whenever my TB is playing with another horse, he sticks his tongue out & it just hangs there?!!!!!! He only does it when he's playing. Does anyone know why / what it means? Thanks x

 

[CheekyCob]

I've seen this when people ride bu i know the meaning then but do you mean just out in the field and he just sticks his tougue out the side because if that's it - i only have a brief idea but don't want to say too much incase i'm wrong!

 

[Natalie_H]

No - not out the side - it just hangs out the front of his mouth - never when he's being ridden - only when he is playing with a field buddy!!

 

[VictoriaEDT]

Mine does this!! He sticks it out when playing with another horse and looks like he is biting it but I think he sucks it. Someone says its possible he was brought up on a bottle when he was a foal?? Who knows though

 

[carthorse]

I think its submission ,my young horse does it

 

[Natalie_H]

That's exactly it!!! He will let you go up to him & poke it & touch it & it still just hangs there! Puzzling?!

 

[Natalie_H]

Thought about the submission thing - but if that is the case he is being cheeky as he is the ultimate dominant, bossy, leader of the field! All the other horses are terrified of him when he is in a strop!

 

[Tia]

One of my old horses does this - it's neurological I believe. Very peculiar as he sucks his tongue; if you go up to him then you can actually hear him sucking.... weird.

 

[Natalie_H]

Very like in the picture - but his tongue does not roll at the edges - looks rather like he has a piece of gammon hanging out of his mouth! Haven't heard him sucking - but have never listened for it. Do you know the neurological reasoning behind it?

 

[VictoriaEDT]

Sort of like that for mine Tia except it only stick out about 2" from his muzzle. Occasionally he will stop and then stick it out loads and gradually pull it in to 2" from the muzzle again and leave it there. One day he will bite it off cos he plays pretty roughly!

 

[VictoriaEDT]

is that pic in canada Tia?!

 

[Tia]

No, I've no idea sorry - I mentioned it to a few vets over here and they all said they believed it was neurological. I never asked further as I have no intention of doing anything about it. I see it more like his "safety blanket" or like sucking his thumb.

Mine also does it immediately after eating hard feed

.

Yes this picture is here at my farm in Canada.

 

[Parkranger]

Ty does it. Unfortunatley his tongue sometimes ends up MB's boys bottom. I'm not joking! x

 

[juliebrewer]

how funny, he must have a good sense of huemer!!