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  Discussion on Strange yawnlike behaviour/endorphins
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New Member:
ezra1

Posted on Thursday, Jul 8, 2010 - 5:20 pm:

Hi I'm new here but love to read the articles and am hoping I can get some feedback on a strange behaviour our Rocky Mountain gelding has been doing.
First some background I bought this gelding from Kentucky back in February and passed the pre-purchase exam. My intention was to get another gaited horse for my 11 year old son to ride with us on trail. The vet indicated he was a little thin but felt he would make a suitable mount for my son.
After arriving here in Oregon I noted he was indeed thin and decided to put him out in his little pasture where I could pack some groceries on him. I made sure he was up to date on his worming but didn't think to check his teeth and can only say that was a dumb thing on my part as I know better. Shortly after I put him in pasture I started noticing him do a behaviour I'd never seen before. He would stand and kind of half yawn and draw his mouth open towards his chest and in this arched position then pull his head up mouth sill open. He did it often and I honestly felt it was a habit he had developed.
Well my son had no interest in riding and Whiskey had put on a little weight after 4 months so I decided to let him go out on a feed lease as it was a waste with Summer him just standing around.
Of course as soon as they got him home they did what I should have and checked his teeth which were in desperate need of a float. Turned out he had a broken abscessed wolf tooth also. Yes I feel terrible all my other guys had been done in the Fall.
So here's my question his teeth were floated on 6/28 and I know yawning can be a symptom of oral pain among other things. The lady that is leasing him and the trainer she has him at are afraid he has something caught in his throat (alfalfa stem)??? He never had a runny nose or coughing fit as most do when something is irritating the throat nor does he hang his head out stretched. He is eating fine and putting on weight since the float so that's good. No other symptoms except he still does that weird yawn thing? To me it looks like a behaviour a cribbing horse would do except he has nothing to grab ahold of with his teeth and I do believe he is sucking air when he does this. I've discussed this with a couple well-known and very competent horse trainers and my previous vet in Wash. state all believe it is similar to cribbing as he's found a way to release endorphins without grabbing onto something. Mind you when this started he was in our pasture which is fenced in with electrical tape so no place to crib if he wanted to. I really don't want to rush the vet out again just yet and have been told to put a crib collar on him and see if that stops him from doing it. Of course if it continues I will have him checked out as I know excessive yawning can be a symptom of ulcers, liver damage, etc. But I still don't know if I'd even call it a yawn.
Please help me with any other suggestions or ideas and if you've ever seen anything like this.

Thank you,
Tina
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jul 8, 2010 - 6:41 pm:

Welcome Tina,
Yawning without other symptoms is not likely do to any serious systemic disease like liver failure. Humans suffering from some types of seizures like narcolepsy may also yawn uncontrollably however I too think this sounds like cribbing without latching onto something.
DrO
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