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Volunteer Aida & Louise Even beyond nickers and whinnies, a horse’s nose and mouth can tell you several things about what he’s feeling: Drooping lip or slack mouth. A horse standing quietly with his lower lip drooping may be relaxing or even asleep. If you approach him, do so cautiously and call his name to avoid startling him. Once he’s awake and moving around, his lip should return to normal. However, if the slackness in his mouth persists while he’s alert, he may have an injury or a neurological problem. Ask your veterinarian to investigate. Chewing. It may look a little funny to see your horse chewing when you know he’s not eating, but this is a good sign when you are training him. It indicates he’s relaxed and thinking, and that in turn means he’s learning. Clacking teeth. A foal will sometimes raise his neck, push his head forward, curl his lips and click his teeth together. It can look comical to us, but it’s an important behavior for him: This is how the foal tells other horses, “Hey! I’m a baby! Please don’t hurt me!” You’ll see this most often in foals and weanlings and occasionally among more submissive yearlings. Normally, they stop by the time they’re 2 or 3 years old. Flehmen. Flehmen is another of those behaviors that looks humorous but serves an important function: When a horse smells something he’s unsure of, he raises his head, curls his upper lip, breathes in and blows air back out. This allows him to push the scent particles through a structure in his nose called the vomeronasal organ (VNO). The VNO enables horses to better detect chemicals in the air, often pheromones emitted by sexually receptive horses. You most often see stallions flehmen when they’re determining whether a mare is in heat and ready to breed, but all horses will do this when they smell something unusual and they’re trying to get more information. Flared nostrils. A horse will stretch his nostrils wide to draw in more air as he exercises, and the flare may continue for a short time afterward. At other times, a horse’s nostrils may flare and even quiver when he is startled or nervous—this is one of those quieter communications that can develop into something more serious if you don’t take heed right away. Tight, pinched or pursed mouth or muzzle. This is a subtle sign and can be easy to miss. Tension around the mouth tells you your horse is worried, stressed or scared. When you notice his muzzle tighten, take action to either remove your horse from the situation or help him work through the stress or fear so he won’t have to resort to “louder” messages like biting or running away. Gaping mouth with visible teeth. This gesture can signal different things, depending on the context. If the horse also pins his ears and you can see white around his eyes, he’s angry and probably seconds away from biting you or another horse—move out of his way immediately to avoid being hurt. If a horse’s mouth gapes while he is being ridden, he may be in pain. Check the fit of your bridle and bit and schedule a dental examination to make sure his teeth aren’t hurting him. Last, if your horse stops eating and stands with his neck stretched out and his mouth gaping, he may be experiencing choke, an obstruction in his esophagus. This is an emergency; remove the uneaten food and call your veterinarian immediately. Source: Equus
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