Ok. Other than for a stallion to check a mare for heat. Why else does a horse especially a pregnant mare flip up her top lip. Just like a stallion does??? My mare is pregnant and she does this alot. I dont know when she was bred cause she was feild bred and already in foal when I bought her. Thanks in advance,
2006-12-16 02:26:07 · 6 answers · asked by country_gurl07 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
All horses do that. Especially when they smell something they like. My mare used to do it when I came in the barn with carrots, apples and then again after she ate them. I think some horses do it out of excitment as well.
2006-12-16 02:35:11 · answer #1 · answered by hey_its_from_clare 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All animals have scent glands/organs in the top of their mouth. Some animals are just more developed than others. They are hardwired straight to the brain in most cases, so they can be more sensitive. Animals can demonstrate this behavior when trying to smell something, or after smelling a "bad" scent. If you've got cats or dogs, watch them, they will periodically do the same type of behavior. Since an elephants "nose" is so long, they use their trunk to bring scent to these glands/organs in the top of their mouth to smell. Horses do this for the same reason. Stallions are most often seen doing it because they do it regularly to smell pheromones, etc when mares are in season.
2006-12-16 03:03:07 · answer #2 · answered by skachicah35 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is called the Flemen response.
They have a gland in the roof of their mouths and use the flipped lip to concentrate the scent and drag it over the galnd.
My gelding does it is he tastes something strange or different and sometimes if he smells something different.
Hedoes it a lot. Our mare hardly ever does it.
Some horses just do it more often than others and I do not think it has anything to do with being in foal.
2006-12-16 03:21:30 · answer #3 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is called a "flemen" response. Horses of all genders use it to trap smells in their nose, so that they can detect it. It's normal, some horses do it in new environments, more so than normally. Is your mare in a new pasture?
2006-12-16 02:37:23 · answer #4 · answered by hailey718 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
doesn't matter if it's a mare, stallion or gelding. they all do it. they get a weird smell and this is their reaction to it. no big deal. they just do. good luck
2006-12-17 16:25:10 · answer #5 · answered by cattledog_vinnie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some horses do that for fun. If they have tasted something or smelled something funny they usually do that to.
2006-12-16 08:06:51 · answer #6 · answered by Sassy B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋