Groundwork and yawning

[neen]

Fluke and I are all fired up about groundwork at the moment, what with my recent trip to KateWooten's, our new halter and rope, and our new trainer. We're doing faster stuff loose in the school, and lots of close-in yielding in various directions. He's really engaged (for once!) and we're coming on in leaps and bounds.

But...

Why is it, when we start the close-in work, he starts yawning his head off? I know he likes it because he acts all happy and tries really hard (which is not always the Fluke way, let me tell you :rolleyes: ) These aren't politely smothered yawns, either -- it's a full on yawn-fest that looks so comical it has spectators in fits of laughter.

Has anyone else found this with this sort of groundwork?

[mayoguinness]

Sometimes this can mean that shes really taking stuff in and shes relaxed and happy about it but other times I'm sure it just meens there sleepy:) Either way I don't think its a bad sign, Mayo does it a lot too;)

[Iron Maiden]

P absolutely yawns her head off sometimes when I start schooling her, but when she does this she goes on to school very well. Don't know what it means but I take it to be a good thing! She tends to yawn a lot after Bowen treatments too, so maybe it's some sort of release? She was yawning like mad this morning, but that was after I'd disturbed her from being flat out on her side having a snooze in the field, so I'm sure that was her feeling sleepy!

[suneanarab]

yawning means that the horse is happy with what is going on. they are relaxed and willing to accept what you are asking of them. odin has a habit of keeping his door shut in a morning and asking to play (even before being fed, and that is some thing to say as odin is such a pig!) he is the one who wants to play and we also play fight, but he does the biggest of yawns at the same time. he also does it when schooling as do the others.

if the horse isn't happy you will see that the lips become tight and wrinkled round the edges. there are other signs of course but this is one of the first.

[Yann]

That's interesting, and somewhat reassuring too. I'd read somewhere that yawning could also be a displacement activity and therefore a sign of stress, but I'd imagine that other signs would be evident as well. I know Rio sometimes yawns when she's being tacked up, and both she and Tess often do after a ride. However that might just be tiredness :)

[teabiscuit]

finn yawned when he banged his head, and when he's waiting for food he yawns for england

i think it can be displacement....

[janet hakeney]

Yawning is often caused by the horse 'coming down' off adrenalin.

[Montana]

Yawning is often caused by the horse 'coming down' off adrenalin.

Couldn't have put it better myself:p I've been trying to find a way to phrase that for days now....:D

M gets anxious when I present new things to him. He has a pattern to his learning - get worried at the slightest ask, present everything he thinks I want in quick succcession, then slow his brain, then try something new, then click:p He gets it - and once it's there it stays. In the meantime, I just keep presenting the same information patiently and in the same way, wait for him to work through his concerns and help him where I can by being as clear as possible.

Then I see the yawning:) . I've always thought of it as a sign of understanding and relaxation, with a little tension:confused: if that makes sense:rolleyes: . But what you say makes complete sense to me Janet, it's coming down from adrenalin. I hadn't realised it until I just read that, but it explains the exact thing that he does.

ETA - I don't neccessarily think this would mean exactly the same thing in Fluke - but it could be a sign that he's just had to use a lot of mental energy to work things through. Sometimes I think that groundwork and anything else which really uses the brain can be more exhausting to horses than expending masses of physical energy.....

[neen]

Ah, now that would make sense -- especially as we do the close up work after more energetic loose schooling. He might be thinking "Thank goodness we're on the slow bit now... *yawn*"

He does it if there isn't time for loose schooling too, though, and go straight to close up work -- maybe then it's "Hooray, we're not running about after all today *yawn*" ?

present everything he thinks I want in quick succcession

Fluke does that too -- really cute. It reminds me of teaching English as a Foreign Language, when the students used to take guesses at what the new words could possibly mean. Fluke doesn't seem to get stressed, though -- he tries all the options he can think of, then he fiddles with the rope or gives me a nudge: "That one's too hard, ask me another"

[suneanarab]

i think that you have to apply things to a situation rather that labling it all under the same thing. when odin asks to play and is yawning how can that be comming down from adrenalin?

i know that i feel tired if i've been in a stressfull situation that onl;y feels that way afterwards. however, horses how have liver problems also yawn so i don't think it's fair to say that all yawning is about adrenalin and associating it with stress. horses who are relaxed in their work will yawn.

i suppose it comes down to experience of knowing the difference.

[janet hakeney]

i don't think it's fair to say that all yawning is about adrenalin and associating it with stress. horses who are relaxed in their work will yawn.

I did not say that all yawning was due to adrenalin I said that it is often the case. There are of course other reasons, and an intense period of concentration would be one of them when followed by relaxation. Also, an excited, playful horse can still be working in his left brain and not be stressed but be releasing adrenalin. This is different from a stressed out right brain reactive horse who may take much longer to 'come down'.

[suneanarab]

another thing to think of is that it may have nothing to do with adrenalin at all. there are many endorphins that we don't fully understand, such as seratonin and dopamine (spellings) all are released when we are relaxed and happy. there are certain things that make me very happy and i yawn them too.

[Pibstar]

[QUOTE=neen;1265325]Fluke and I are all fired up about groundwork at the moment, what with my recent trip to KateWooten's, our new halter and rope, and our new trainer. We're doing faster stuff loose in the school, and lots of close-in yielding in various directions. He's really engaged (for once!) and we're coming on in leaps and bounds.
QUOTE]

I still smile when i remember watching you loose schooling him:p:p Theres you running one way and him trying to run the other!!!:):)