# Wringing tail question.



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I think that there can be additional causes including concentration and effort.


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

What you noticed may very well have been a wringing of the tail as many show horses are put under a lot of stress. However, paying too much attention to a particular symptom may result in false interpretations. Not all tail activity is "wringing". For example, some horses use their tail more than others to help balance, much like a horse will use its head to balance if allowed. This particular type of movement would be distinguished by its regularity in relation to the other movements of the horse.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Wringing can be anger, lameness/soreness, or effort. My favorite example of a happy horse "wringing" her tail is this ride. She was putting her biggest effort into everything she did. Her tail was making a "grunt"!

You can see how her effort is timed with the swishes. These two were wonderful to watch together and had a great love for each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhYwyJYNFI


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Also, you have to look at the WHOLE horse. Not just one body part. Horses tend to express themselves globally. An angry horse isn't only going to pin it's ears. An alert horse isn't only going to lift his head high. What's the head doing? The ears? The nose? The eyes? His movement? Evaluating all the above should arrive you at your answer.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Allison Finch said:


> Wringing can be anger, lameness/soreness, or effort. My favorite example of a happy horse "wringing" her tail is this ride. She was putting her biggest effort into everything she did. Her tail was making a "grunt"!
> 
> You can see how her effort is timed with the swishes. These two were wonderful to watch together and had a great love for each other.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhYwyJYNFI


I have always adored this video!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Allison Finch said:


> Wringing can be anger, lameness/soreness, or effort. My favorite example of a happy horse "wringing" her tail is this ride. She was putting her biggest effort into everything she did. Her tail was making a "grunt"!
> 
> You can see how her effort is timed with the swishes. These two were wonderful to watch together and had a great love for each other.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhYwyJYNFI


I was going to post that!


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## Kimmy1985 (Jun 8, 2014)

Thanks for the replies! 
I never really thought of the tail helping with balance or being a sign of extra effort....makes sense. 
The video posted is awesome; I've seen it before 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## KsKatt (Jun 2, 2014)

Allison Finch said:


> Wringing can be anger, lameness/soreness, or effort. My favorite example of a happy horse "wringing" her tail is this ride. She was putting her biggest effort into everything she did. Her tail was making a "grunt"!
> 
> You can see how her effort is timed with the swishes. These two were wonderful to watch together and had a great love for each other.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhYwyJYNFI



I do not know what the relationship is between this horse and rider out of the show ring. I don't know if she "loves" her rider, or it is a respect and obedience to her leader. She is ever so highly trained and yes beautiful to watch. Sort of. I just can't imagine any animal enjoying having their head positioned so much that it has to compromise breathing. I can't pull my chin that far down and breathe well. I know this is a controversial issue, I'm not going into that debate, I'm only stating what I see.
I see a very highly trained, obedient, talented horse. I tried to watch very carefully. I saw the majority of tail switching during the more complicated movements, the ones that require oxygen, when her breathing was the most compromised. I saw her tail going from quiet to switching, often start before she needed any help balancing, but the moment her head was being pulling back. 
This my opinion, it is what I saw. I am sure there are many who disagree. I am not going to argue with anyone. I am perfectly fine with "agreeing to disagree". I am not calling it abuse, the horse is incredibly healthy any compromise is short lived. This horse lives a wonder life. I am talking about I see with the tail switching.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I fact, a horse can be teally over bent and it does no compromise their breathing, 
With all the controversy over Rolkuur horses were scoped whilst being worked and it made no difference to the air flow.

Your remark about bending your own head down and your breathing being compromised. I tried it, couldn't get my head down very far and still touch my body with my chin but it did not make any difference to my breathing. 

Perhaps this stiff old body is past it!


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

KsKatt said:


> I just can't imagine any animal enjoying having their head positioned so much that it has to compromise breathing. I can't pull my chin that far down and breathe well. I


And I cannot eat well with my neck stretch all the way out, but then again I'm not a giraffe! :wink: our anatomy isn't the same as a horse's.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

KsKatt said:


> I do not know what the relationship is between this horse and rider out of the show ring. I don't know if she "loves" her rider, or it is a respect and obedience to her leader. She is ever so highly trained and yes beautiful to watch. Sort of. I just can't imagine any animal enjoying having their head positioned so much that it has to compromise breathing. I can't pull my chin that far down and breathe well. I know this is a controversial issue, I'm not going into that debate, I'm only stating what I see.
> I see a very highly trained, obedient, talented horse. I tried to watch very carefully. I saw the majority of tail switching during the more complicated movements, the ones that require oxygen, when her breathing was the most compromised. I saw her tail going from quiet to switching, often start before she needed any help balancing, but the moment her head was being pulling back.
> This my opinion, it is what I saw. I am sure there are many who disagree. I am not going to argue with anyone. I am perfectly fine with "agreeing to disagree". I am not calling it abuse, the horse is incredibly healthy any compromise is short lived. This horse lives a wonder life. I am talking about I see with the tail switching.


I don't agree with the lack of breathing comment. But I do agree with the "I don't see love" comment. I know this is off topic, but.

I see a horse that likes it's job. Great expression, and beautiful communication between horse and rider. I don't see love, I see an exceptional rider riding an exceptional horse. 

The tail swishing IMO on this horse isn't because of lack of breathing or frustration. It's (as everyone else stated) out of effort


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

The worse tail swisher ever encountered was a chestnut mare. She measured in at 13.3 in front and 15.1 behind. Short neck, roman nosed, three eared (one ear was split nearly all the way down) good shoulder, long on the back and a butt like a QH.

She arrived at the riding school on the Friday and I took her to a show the next day. Not wise! She napped going into the ring for a jumping class, finally entered on her hind legs. The bell went and we jumped the first two fences and straight out of the ring over a car lengthways! 

It took a while to get the hang of her and she wasn't easy by any means and come April she came into season and stayed in season and would wring her tail, in either direction, 360. 
Her saving grace was that she could jump. I was long legged so when I rode her I had to swing my legs right back so my heels didn't take the poles down. 
To check her all I had to do was sit down hard and apply my legs. This could bring about an instant stop any Reiner would be proud of - all accompanied by tails swinging and peeing. To go just sit still and away she went preferably as fast as she could.

My mother hated that mare because my jacket and hat would be covered in urine. 

In retrospect there was obviously something wrong with her hormones but back then it wasn't a consideration. 

She did breed one foal years later but that died in an accident. She was pensioned off at a friends. I went to get her and another oldie in for the farrier, as it was some distance back to the stables I vaulted on her, she hadn't been ridden in years. She turned her head, sniffed my leg, moved forward two steps, stood vertical, came down and took off across the field, jumped the gate and stopped in the yard, turned and looked at me as if to say, "We're still a good partnership." 

When I got home my mother took one sniff and said "You stink like you use to when you rode Jane!"


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

^that mare sounds like fun lol!!


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

KsKatt said:


> I do not know what the relationship is between this horse and rider out of the show ring. I don't know if she "loves" her rider, or it is a respect and obedience to her leader. She is ever so highly trained and yes beautiful to watch. Sort of. I just can't imagine any animal enjoying having their head positioned so much that it has to compromise breathing. I can't pull my chin that far down and breathe well. I know this is a controversial issue, I'm not going into that debate, I'm only stating what I see.
> I see a very highly trained, obedient, talented horse. I tried to watch very carefully. I saw the majority of tail switching during the more complicated movements, the ones that require oxygen, when her breathing was the most compromised. I saw her tail going from quiet to switching, often start before she needed any help balancing, but the moment her head was being pulling back.
> This my opinion, it is what I saw. I am sure there are many who disagree. I am not going to argue with anyone. I am perfectly fine with "agreeing to disagree". I am not calling it abuse, the horse is incredibly healthy any compromise is short lived. This horse lives a wonder life. I am talking about I see with the tail switching.


This is not roulkur, her throat is "closed" yes but it's not roulkur. Her anatomy is not the same as ours. Her head position is very common. It's not rolled or yanked tight. If she couldn't breathe the large majority of upper level riding horses would be dead by now, esp the ones that are ridden even tighter.

he horses tail is switching constantly. It does switch more at times. I don't see her head being pulled, she's on contact but not being forced or yanked. I see a relaxed horse switching her tail with the beat. I love how relaxed she is. She is switching with concentration and for balance.

While I am sure the horse did have a healthy and wonderful life idk how we can know that based off a video? Just thought that comment was odd.

FYI sadly this talented mare passed away
Blue Hors Matine Died Unexpectedly | eurodressage


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## KsKatt (Jun 2, 2014)

I did have a serious tail wringer of my own. 14.1 hand solid Appaloosa. She ran all the gymkhana events, aced Pole Bending and Keg Race. She loved to run, would hop in the trailer to go to a show. Hold out a halter or bridle she'd shove her nose into it! We just went to little local Fun Shows, went to O-MOK-SEE one year when it was held in Kansas. She took champion in Poles and Kegs, setting a new record in the Kegs. 
I never knew of another horse that would pee and run, that's cool. My mare was just concentrating so hard on running she'd lose control of her bladder. I'm not sure how it got on you, the pee streamed straight out behind mine. 
The tail wringing part, I called it our propeller! The only time she hit a pole, very seldom, was when she'd hit it with her tail. I was told, a few times, that I should tie it down, not a chance!:lol:
No hormone issue with her. She was incredibly healthy all the way to 35, then went downhill to seriously colic at 36 years, 1 month and 29 days. 
We had been together for 35 years, 2 months and 29 days.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

^Your mare sounds awesome . I'm sorry for your loss. That is a long time!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Yogiwick said:


> ^that mare sounds like fun lol!!



She was! 

I was the only one she really jumped for though my sister, a lot better rider. Did win with her.

Jumping off against the clock was interesting, I could turn her mid air and jump the next from a single stride. I came into a treble totally wrong, she cleared the first, one stride, cleared the next landed to far out and took a stride out the last, we were miles away and it was a big spread, I remember thinking that we weren't going to make the far pole but she did. Felt like flying. 

She was used in the riding school but only in the arena or if out by very good riders or staff. 

Someone offered very silly money for her and bought her. The daughter only ever rode her once so she became a pasture ornament until they finally got her in foal. After that she stayed in a field. 

I could never fox hunt her - no brakes at all. :lol:


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I'm seeing a trend with all these tail swishers lol!


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