why is my youngster smacking his lips?

Digger123

Digger123

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I hacked my 4yr old tonight around the fields.He has only been back in work for two weeks and we are just pootling about.Nothing to serious at the moment as he get's fitter I will increase the work load.
Anyway as I was waiting for one of the lads to open the gate.He started to shake his head up and down - not like a true headshaker- and then started flapping his lower lip.
What I want to know is, why ?? He has never done it before could it be because of his teeth do you think ? He wasn't in a stressfull situation
I would welcome any ideas as to why he did it
 
Ludo's next-stable neighbour shakes his head 'chews' his lips and flaps his lower lip a little but its pure tension, to demonstrates his stress. He does it when left in the stable on his own or when others are fed and he isn't, or others are turned out before him. It's very subtle so not obvious to the eye - it almost looks like he's got something stuck in his teeth and he's trying to suck it out! It might be a little stress with yours at an unusual situation. The horse i'm describing is a Cleveland Bay, not sure if that has any relevance at all to yours!
 
It could (hard to know without seeing) bee a sort of submissive baby behaviour if he was a bit worried about something?

Or he could have just been amusing himself for a moment if he was feeling impatient :)
 
not necess an allergy, some horses just do it if they are anticipating something (my mare always does it before mealtimes). I wouldnt worry about it unless they are showing symptoms of allergies etc
 
Could be a bit of stress but to be honest he is not doing anything different to what he did last year.I will see what he is like tomorrow. I will put him in the same situation as tonight and see if we get the same reaction.
 
If it is a one off i really would not worry about it, maybe he found a piece of grass in his teeth or something, could have been anything.

When i said feeling a bit stressed, i didn't mean long term stress or worry. Maybe he just saw something that you didn't and felt worried.

Could be anything. If he starts doing it loads then you can have a think about what is happening when he does it, but he may never do it again :)
 
As somethingorother says, lip smacking is a foal/young horse behaviour that tells an older horse "I'm just a baby and don't mean you any harm. Please don't hurt me".
 
Mine does this occassionally. Usually when you on him and waiting - seems like bordem or impatients to me
 
OH's mare does this (kind of like an annoyed camel?) when she doesn't receive the gentle technique of putting her saddle on and tightening the girth (ie when I do it).

I generally put it down to an expression of frustration/displeasure with the "servants".
 
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