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Eyes Rolling Back in Head

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Eyes Rolling Back in Head
  • I just fed my horse a little treat, a small apple. I cut it into small chunks and she seemed to enjoy them very much. After I feed this to her she kept yawning, squinting her eyes and they would roll back into her head. Is this because of that sweet treat? Should I be worried?
  •   Nothing to worry about.  It's normal expecially with a yawn.
  • It's not normal. My horse did that when she choked (and went down, twice).
     
    I'd start with checking teeth and having them floated.
  • Choking scares me to pieces cuz I nearly lost one of mine.   You know, Bully?  The one starved from a previous adopter, who nearly died from choke, who also climbed on a trailer, fell off, nearly broke his leg, seemed to have a neurological disorder, AND recently went blind? [:-]  I'm sure something else will come to mind.

    Anyway, Zag also nearly choked.  If something like this, out of the ordinary for YOUR horse, occurs, keep a close eye on him/her.  If stuff starts coming out of the nose, they bite at their sides, start kicking at their stomach, roll....  could be colic but, if it involves very recent eating, I'd suspect choke, ESPECIALLY the stretching, yawning, nasal discharge.  Something's stuck!

    Yawning is also an adrenaline release.  After an intense situation, like a good workout, a horse might yawn a lot.  

    Good job cutting the apple into small pieces.  Seems unlikely she'd choke on that.
       
  • If it was a choke situation then I would expect alot more symptoms than just yawning and her eyes rolling back in her head.    If there was nothing else than that, then as Hunterseat said it sounds like a normal yawn.
  • [quote=Ryle]

    If it was a choke situation then I would expect alot more symptoms than just yawning and her eyes rolling back in her head.    If there was nothing else than that, then as Hunterseat said it sounds like a normal yawn.


    The symptoms are not any more dramatic than that. My mare took a bite, then took a few steps, then  went down. Anyone else would have thought she was colicking, except I could hear her stomach growl as she walked by me.
     
    When she's having trouble chewing, she opens her mouth up, rolls her eyes, flips her head. At first I thought it was behavioral...yawning, in fact. But it's not. If it happens in conjunction with eating, it absolutely isn't.
  • I think an excessive amount of yawning COULD be an attempt to clear something that's stuck.  I think that's what Zag was doing this day.  I bet he yawned 20 times!
    Ryle, GREAT avatar!  You get all made up for work?  You look like a model.  That could be a magazine cover!  (was it?)
  • well, I was getting worried about this until my other mare was doing this as well. And only when she yawned. Considering I cut the apple in small pieces I'm sure she wasn't choking.
  • All but one of my horses do it, and a friend's horse in my care too, at feeding time. I remember reading on TheHorse.com that they do it when they anticipate something, like feed, or going out or other pleasurable things. So obviously nothing to worry about.
  • [quote=hunterseat]

    Ryle, GREAT avatar!  You get all made up for work?  You look like a model.  That could be a magazine cover!  (was it?)

     
    It actually was taken for use in a veterinary publication.  ';)'   My little appy got tired of the flashy thing when he could have been out eating. LOL

  • OH!  I'm seeing spots!  Just barely.  If he's your little appy you're vertically challenged? [':D']
  • [quote=Konababy]

    I just fed my horse a little treat, a small apple. I cut it into small chunks and she seemed to enjoy them very much. After I feed this to her she kept yawning, squinting her eyes and they would roll back into her head. Is this because of that sweet treat? Should I be worried?


    My mare always rolls her eyes back when she yawns, and she probably yawns 20 times after a ride EVERY time. I've talked to the dentist, the vet, and the chiropractor, everyone says she's just releasing. *shrug*