A Mare’s Complicated Trick or Something Else?

A reader wonders why her mare turns her head, grits her teeth, and sticks out her tongue.

Posted by Camie Heleski, PhD, MS | Sep 10, 2015 | Behavior, Commentary, Equine Behavior Commentary Series, Stable and Other Vices, Ulcers

A Mare's Complicated Trick or Something Else?

Q: My 7-year-old Thoroughbred mare grits her teeth, turns her head sideways, and sticks out her tongue. She usually exhibits this behavior when waiting to come in or if I am standing by the fence. Is she looking for a treat, or is she just impatient?

—Beth Fischer, via Facebook

A: It’s hard to know what initially prompted this particular set of behaviors in your mare, but my best guess is that she’s basically self-taught herself a rather involved “trick.” It sounds l

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About The Author

Camie Heleski, PhD, MS

Camie Heleski, PhD, MS, is an instructor and adviser in the University of Kentucky equine science and management program. Previously, she worked at Michigan State University, where she was the two-year horse management program coordinator for 25 years. Her applied research interests include equine behavior and welfare, horse-human interactions, and working equids in the world’s developing regions. She’s currently president of the International Society for Equitation Science and has served as scientific chair for the National Farm Animal Care Council’s Canadian equine welfare code committee. Her equine research and outreach efforts have taken her to Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Egypt, and Mali. She enjoys dressage with her Arabian gelding, MSU Ducati._x000D_ _x000D_