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 Expert
Posts: 1612
  
Location: Cocoa, Florida | My filly has been a tail swisher since day one, I have had her checked from head to toe, lameness, soreness, saddle fit, teeth etc. She still said he her tail when I ask her to work. I've only seen on other mare that I know of that also does this and she's a sound 1d mare. Can this just be a gritty little mare issue? She is lazy but works when you ask he to, with a swish or two!
Anyone else have one that does this? |
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 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
 
Location: LA Lower Alabama | I am a pretty firm believer that it is pain. Most I have seen do not swish in the pasture even when in an argument with other horses leaving me to believe it is human/ riding related. .. I could be wrong. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 825
| My mare is a tail swisher 24-7. In the pasture, riding, lunging, etc. She's been Chiro'd, has hocks/stifles injected annually, teeth floated, massaged, etc and still does it all the time. I had an animal communicator ask her why she did it and her response was that it was out of habit. When she was younger, someone used spurs on her and she didn't like them and has done it out of habit ever since.
I will agree that most cases it is out of pain, but I can assure you that that is not always the case.
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 Veteran
Posts: 222
Location: Texas | I have one. She will swish her tail/pee during a run. I have had her seen by numerous vets and two different chiropractors. No one can find anything wrong. This mare gives 10000% during a run. She does have white hair where someone ran her in a bad saddle. So I think it's probably habit from when someone ran her hurting.
Edited to ad. My mare has had her ovaries checked, checked for a tilted uterus etc. i did have a caslick put in and she still does it. I have spent a ton of money on her bc I was sure she was hurting somewhere but every vet/chiro that has seen her can't find anything.
Edited by Married2Rodeo 2014-01-11 10:59 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Have you had her ovaries checked?
Also mares may wind suck and may need to be sutured |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | cheryl makofka - 2014-01-11 11:05 AM Have you had her ovaries checked? Also mares may wind suck and may need to be sutured agree
Edited by Bibliafarm 2014-01-11 10:08 AM
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 Sweet Tea
Posts: 3496
Location: Home of the World Famous "Silver Bullet" | willing to bet, if yall would have your mares sutured down you would see a hugh difference. all race fillies and mares are sutured. we have 6 mares we run. its something we do when their wolf teeth are removed, its that important. they may be healthier and faster too !! |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | I have a tail swisher. She has been checked and X-rayed and anything possible with an equine vet and NOTHING is wrong with her. I know her previous owner used an over and under on her to its full extent so she will swish if she thinks you are going to touch her in anyway with any type of whip. I don't use a whip! In all the time I have had her I have NEVER used a whip,she still can't get over the idea she is going to be hit while riding. I have raised my hand to wave at someone and she swished and put her ears back. I know she doesn't show any pain because she has had a full body exam more than once, it is simply in her head and I doubt she will ever get over the idea! She rides fine with full respect for her rider but you can't touch her when she is working or she will slow down and swish and put her grouchy face on! She is sutured shut!
Edited by angelica 2014-01-11 11:20 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 814
Location: Central California | There are just some horses, including geldings that use their tails, simple as that. When I was working for a well know Cow Horse trainer we always tied a ring in the tails. Never rode without one, as the two years olds got started they got one also. Not hard to learn how to tie one in, harder to find the right ring. |
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Location: Texas | One of my head horses started it all of a sudden. After going over him with a fine tooth comb, it was a saddle got issue. His body changed a little and he needed a pad change |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| werope - 2014-01-11 11:30 AM
There are just some horses, including geldings that use their tails, simple as that. When I was working for a well know Cow Horse trainer we always tied a ring in the tails. Never rode without one, as the two years olds got started they got one also. Not hard to learn how to tie one in, harder to find the right ring.
????????
Please explain! I'm intrigued... |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| My gelding swishes when his hocks need injected... |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | I have two that use their tails right now. One is a mare. I have hauled her to every performance vet worth their salt, to no avail. On to the repro vets, still no answers. Had her sutured, still does it. Called animal communicator and was essentially told that the mare is a witch! Best diagnosis I have ever received with regards to the one. The gelding has wrung his tail for as long as anyone can remember. Then again, that one came off the trailer as a yearling, looked around and promptly ground his teeth. Plent of stereotypies with that one! lol |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | werope - 2014-01-11 11:30 AM There are just some horses, including geldings that use their tails, simple as that. When I was working for a well know Cow Horse trainer we always tied a ring in the tails. Never rode without one, as the two years olds got started they got one also. Not hard to learn how to tie one in, harder to find the right ring.
What is the ring being used for, is it to tie the tail down?  |
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 Goat Giver
Posts: 23166
| Have you checked for PSSM? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1218
Location: South MS | My mare has swished her tail since the day I bought her - she swishes her tail in the pasture/in the barn/tied to the trailer
I have had her checked head to toe - hocks/stifles/ovaries/chiro/ulcers/bleeding etc.
She runs hard but swishes her tail |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 814
Location: Central California | OK here goes regarding my Tieing a Ring in the Tail. First it is not used to tie the tail down or to the side. I use a 4 inch steel ring that is about 1 inch in diamiter, I also have one made out of a pair of sliders that was bent together. Using a modified tail mud knot I place ring in the fold of the braid that is pulled up to make the knot so it will hit above the hocks kinda around the gaston area. When a horse swings or uses its tail the ring hits em. They learn pretty quickly not to use that tail.
I do not like tieing a tail down, some horses need it for balance, with the ring they can still balance but are reminded not to swish or use it!
Learning to tie the knot takes practice and not something that can be explained you kinda have to see it done. I could do some step by step photo's if anyone is interested. |
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Cold hands and Warm Heart
Location: oklahoma | I think for some, it's a 'mood meter' , lol. Sounds like a tail ring is like disciplining a dog for wagging his tail. If you explained it, sorry, I missed it. They need it to cool themselves, swat bugs and balance. |
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 Making the post season
Posts: 7288
Location: your guess is as good as mine | LOL - had one that was a tail-swisher from the word go...didn't matter if she was running a pattern or running with the others in the pasture, that tail was a wringing. She did start sucking wind & we had her sewn up, but we discovered that because when she started getting sore she would buck running home from the third barrel. Before anyone says that's what started her tail-swishing - we bought her when she was 2yo and she swished her tail the first day we turned her out in the pasture - before she was even started under saddle. She was 14.3 in shoes & I always said she was trying to push herself faster lol... |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | werope - 2014-01-12 2:32 PM OK here goes regarding my Tieing a Ring in the Tail. First it is not used to tie the tail down or to the side. I use a 4 inch steel ring that is about 1 inch in diamiter, I also have one made out of a pair of sliders that was bent together. Using a modified tail mud knot I place ring in the fold of the braid that is pulled up to make the knot so it will hit above the hocks kinda around the gaston area. When a horse swings or uses its tail the ring hits em. They learn pretty quickly not to use that tail. I do not like tieing a tail down, some horses need it for balance, with the ring they can still balance but are reminded not to swish or use it! Learning to tie the knot takes practice and not something that can be explained you kinda have to see it done. I could do some step by step photo's if anyone is interested.
I have never heard are seen this, I would rather them to just swish their tail. Just my thought  |
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