My old mare has started to do it while she’s sticking her head out of the stall, particularly when there are people around or other horses in the crossties. You know the vigorous nodding up and down of the head that horses always do in movies but you don’t see so much in real life? That signifies “yes” in horse movie-speak…
Is it begging behaviour? I figure it means she wants attention–more attention in her case, because she gets plenty already.
Mine do it when they want something. In, out, food, attention. And vigorously too, especially when it’s meal time or if someone has left snacks in plain sight.
It can be an attention seeking/frustration behavior (similar to pawing on crossties) but can also be an endorphin releasing behavior (like weaving or cribbing). If it’s attention seeking, you can probably train her out of it. You can set up a camera to see if she does it when you are not there; if she does it while alone, it’s probably an endorphin releasing behavior.
For mine it means “I want OUT!”
Attention seeking. Mine does that and I trained him to do it on cue (putting finger to mouth in a questioning way). Then I trained a head shake “no” by tickling his wither as if a fly landed there. His cue for that is to point at the wither.
Now we can have conversations where I ask questions and he “replies” :winkgrin:
Attention seeking.
It’s often seen with horses in herds when one wants to engage in play with another. He’ll stand and nod.
It can be a lot of things - it can also be neurological in origin.
For my gelding it is attention seeking, and hoping that a treat will come along with the attention. He does it when he is bored also, like in the lineup in the show pen, patience is not one of his virtues. If he is really antsy, he will do it so fast that it makes his lips flap too - and that makes everyone laugh.
I also wondered if it was mating behaviour, because she’s been feeling rather chipper lately, and as you know, it’s springtime, when a 26 year old TB’s fancy turns to love… usually a gelding at least 5 years younger than she is… and her boyfriend was standing in the crossties when she was doing it.
I have a TB mare off the track (raced for 6 years), she will do this if in a stall. Nod her head and tap her right back hoof. I figure if that is her only bad vice after racing that long I’ll take it!
Attention seeking or frustration with not having its desires met.
[QUOTE=aspenlucas;4730335]
I have a TB mare off the track (raced for 6 years), she will do this if in a stall. Nod her head and tap her right back hoof. I figure if that is her only bad vice after racing that long I’ll take it![/QUOTE]
That’s cute!
My OTTb does it too. Mostly to instigate play or if he wants something.
In my boy it’s either attention seeking or DEMANDING something. But there’s a definite difference in the head nods 
And the demanding head nod gets IGNORED. If I have grain and he starts flinging his head at me (it’s almost like he’s flicking me off) I will turn around and walk away until he stands nice and waits!
It’s horse for “Goddamnit.”
[QUOTE=mvp;4730801]
It’s horse for “Goddamnit.”[/QUOTE]
LOL! Yep!
My old TB does this too. Only when she is alone, and no other horses around. Must be an endorphin thing!
[QUOTE=aspenlucas;4730335]
I have a TB mare off the track (raced for 6 years), she will do this if in a stall. Nod her head and tap her right back hoof. I figure if that is her only bad vice after racing that long I’ll take it![/QUOTE]
Another OTTB mare owner checking in—Cat did this in her stall after coming to me off the track. The BO had just put in new stall fronts with that “V” opening in the bars, and she’d bob frantically away anytime she had to be inside. (She is out all day, in at night.) The BO closed the “V” to stop the behavior, but I wish she hadn’t, because the alternate behavior became cribbing!
Wow, this is an old thread, I completely forgot about it. The mare in question was euthanized three years ago. I agree with the “Goddamnit” interpretation and attention-seeking behaviour.
My mare does it when she REALLY LIKES something - For example the first time she ate grass (I had to pick up a handful and shove it in her mouth. She’d been wandering around the pasture wondering what that green stuff was.) and the first peppermint I gave her.
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