Pony unable to whinny

From what I can tell, Panda-chan is unable to whinny.

(9-10 year old 10.2h pony, left alone in a pasture for at least 3 years, recently rescued and come to live at Green Acres with The Boys)

In the 12 days that he's been here, he's tried to whinny 2-3 times. (Mainly when being taken for a walk, in response to having the left-at-home boys call to him.)

Each time, he barely gets a sound out. He really seems to be trying to whinny, but it's like someone de-barked him. :confused:

He doesn't appear to have any trouble breathing or eating or drinking. Just whinnying.

And I don't think I've heard him nicker, either, but that might just be that he's taking time to settle in. The Princess was the Joan Rivers of the horse world, so he's a stark contrast to her :lol:

Any idea what might be causing this?

I thought the same thing about my mare when I got her. She'd try to whinny, but barely anything would come out.

Seems she was just being shy though. It took a good 6 months, but she finally let loose and hasn't been quiet since :lol: She was a bad roarer when I got her, and had also been in a field for several years. I just figured it was because of her roaring, maybe she fried her vocal cords.

So if all seems well, maybe he's just being cautious??? Or maybe if they don't have a reason to make noise for awhile, they just don't quite get all the sound out?

There's a horse in training/being sold for the owner at the barn I'm at.
Each time he tries to whinny, it's a faint, almost hoarse noise. More of a "whoooooo" than a whinny. He's always sounded like that, though, and his nickers are also very sad :lol:. Apparently that's just how he is.

My guy does that - I figure it was from his roaring surgery he had while on the track.

I call him my "smoker"

My horse doesn't whinny, well, he tries but only his nostrils move and he's totally quiet. Everyone makes fun of him, but I'll take that any day over one that doesn't shut up.

It's because he's a little "hoarse".:D

I'd take quiet over my friend's horse any day. If he goes to a show with horses he knows he doesn't shut up. And his are HIGH pitched and squeally, not very manly at all! It becomes very annoying. We laugh though because he'll be working working working and then he'll do this fluctuating whinny/squeal, but he'll keep on working while he does it. Be happy he's not like that! lol

I had a TB that did that, tried to nicker, neigh, whinny, came out little barks, squeaks, etc.
Roaring surgery did his voice box in..

nice horse, just very quiet.

Maybe he doesn't have anything to say yet. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jetsmom

It's because he's a little "hoarse".:D

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:lol:

I would be very surprised if he had had roaring surgery in his short, neglected life - although it could have happened, I suppose.

Wouldn't you think that if you cared enough about a pony to have him operated on, you'd care enough not to leave him all by himself in a pasture for 3 years?

Situations change, I know.

It will be interesting to see if he has anything to say tomorrow morning when the boys go for a trail ride and he gets left behind. That used to elicit some choice comments from The Princess :D

I have had two roarers, both couldn't whinny BEFORE or after the sx.

Hm. Maybe he's a roarer.

He would actually have to exert himself (more than just scooting away from the big boys) to show symptoms, right?

Or is there some other way to diagnose besides listening to them?

I seem to recall that horses who had certain types of cervical trauma such as being tied unbreakably and pulling the wrong way could injure themselves in such a way as to reduce their vocalization ability. But I can;t remeber the details enough to make sense of it!

my horse Hardly ever really whinny's (but i HAVE heard him do it) most of the time a little baby whinny comes out, kinda like a a question mark whinny LOL really soft and it the tone of a question lol it is so cute! it is like he hears some calling and he goes is that you? under his breath.

he is probably fine and isn't sure he should answer or something. i bet he can do it if he wants

Well, he was left Home Alone this morning while the big boys went on a trail ride (and got RAINED ON - <wild applause>). Mr. RAR reported that he sort of whinnied a little. And when we got back, I put him in the arena while the boys were tied to the trailer. He sort of whinnied when I walked Prozac Pony over to have his post-ride shower.

It's still not a "normal" whinny, I don't think.

But he does make noise when he feels motivated enough.

Hmm... maybe he used to be a heavy smoker and has the Don Corleone thing going on....

Thats interesting to hear other horses that had tie back sx can't whinny... my mare was a loud roarer... and couldn't make a peep. She never had tie back surgery, but her breathing did quiet down when she was fit, and thats the same time the whinnies came out... so maybe she was a lucky one that really was not nearly as severe as she sounded, and everything tightened up?

To hear if your little one is a roarer, a minute or 2 of canter on a lunge line should give you your answer. They don't have to exert very hard to make noise, as long as their respiration rate is slightly increased, you'll hear it.

Update - he has found his whinny!

Still not as vocal as the big boys, and not as loud, but he definitely expresses his opinion when he's away from the boys.

So maybe he really had nothing to say... or was just shy.