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No nicker/whicker

6K views 11 replies 12 participants last post by  bsms 
#1 ·
I board my mare at the barn I also work at, so I see her a lot, almost every day. I have had her for several years.

I like her and she likes me, too. However, she NEVER nickers at me, or whickers, or whatever. AND she does not nicker or whicker to other horses. If a horse neighs at her from across the barn (one of her pasture mates), she will neigh back, but when she goes to see them ... silence. They often nicker to her, but she will not nicker back. She has yet, to my knowledge, to utter a nicker.

Many of the *other* horses at the barn nicker to me, though. Since I feed them most days, I am pretty popular. But my mare won't nicker at me. Not. At. All. And she is very food motivated, and I give her little treats when I bring her up to the barn for grooming. But there's no nicker.

I am reflecting on it because someone at the barn mentioned she knows her horse likes her because she nickers to her. And I started thinking, "Hey ... " To be fair, in all other avenues, she is the perfect horse. Impeccably behaved, brave, smart and willing, not naughty or disrespectful. She is fun to ride and very sensitive, so I barely have to touch her for cues. She's pretty dang awesome and we do a lot of cool stuff together. But still no nicker.

So is anyone else here in the "my horse doesn't nicker at me" club? Why doesn't she nicker at me?
 
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#2 ·
Some horses just aren't vocal. I worked with my mare for 4 1/2 year and never once heard her make a sound towards me or any other animal. I finally did hear her neigh once at a parade when she saw a draft gelding, but that was all. But she did like me...or at least tolerated me more than everyone else. Whether or not a horse 'talks' to you has nothing to do with how much they like you.

Converse to that, my filly nickered/neighed CONSTANTLY. She grumbled and nickered every time she saw a meal, made a rumbly sound when she saw me in the pasture, and talked to ANY other breathing animal (she's a very social creature) that came across her path. But she did it so much, to so many people/horses, that it really wasn't "special" although the nickers were cute. The loud calls to other horses? Not as much xD
 
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#3 ·
^^^ Yes, some horses are just not big talkers. We have two mares that rarely nicker or whinny, and two that are big, loud talkers. So far, our 8 month old colt seems to take after mom and whinnys a lot to all the ladies (and us), but no nickers yet.
 
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#4 ·
I wouldn't really judge a relationship with a horse by whether they nicker or not. I got a new horse Saturday and he was already nickering to me on Sunday. He is very sweet, but I can't say we've truly built a relationship yet lol.
 
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#6 ·
Lacey is right between "talkative" and silent - she'll nicker for her grain, nicker if she wants something [for instance, if I locked her in her stall without feeding her or if she wants me to remove her grazing muzzle], and she'll whinny if something is wrong [for instance, she's stuck in a fence and needs me to help her]. She'll whinny at her goats if she realllly can't find them.

Otherwise, she's very silent. In 5 years, she's maybe nickered at ME twice [she'll nicker at me holding her grain or hay...but that's about grain/hay. haha]. I never heard her make noise at all until I had known her for 2-ish years.
She lives at "home" now and I see her twice a day, at least..but I probably could not honestly pick out her whinny if I heard it combined with the whinnies of other horses. I could pick out her nicker, but she has a very distinctive nicker.

Anyway, sounds like your girl just isn't talkative. That doesn't mean she likes you any less. :)
 
#7 ·
Horses are body language readers and mood readers and not that vocal in nature. However some are more vocal than others though. Some are simply food motivated. If owner gives treats alot and or feeds the animal often then the horse associates that person with food. It might be just the food they are "nickering" after and not so much the person themselves. They associate the person with treats or food. Some will recognize/react or greet you by nickering like they do thier herd family members or foals. Some will softly nicker or flutter thier nostrils in greeting. Some are primarily body language readers and not vocal at all. This does not mean they dont like your or that you are not recognized as a "member of thier herd" they may not even respond to thier actual equine herd buddies with a nicker but perhaps a nudge, blowing in one another's nostrils, nuzzling or rubbing (mutual grooming) and etc. My late mare was not vocal at all, However I took her to a local show once and while in the line up of a halter/Model Class she let out this loud full whinny. I was shocked for I had NEVER heard her nicker (except once softly in greeting to me) let alone a whinny. Even my freinds where shocked at my mare's sudden need to express herself vocaly. (might have been induced by nerves, seeing various horses, stress ....who realy knows). It was one time and that was it. (We got second in the class by the way). My horses typicaly greet me by turning thier heads to me and recognizing my pressence (walking up to me head first). (this falls into manners also) She would come to me, nudge me, nuzzle me or what have you. I cared for a TB Broodmare that would come up to you and pivot her behind to you......I initially though the mare was being naughty but later learned (by other handlers that knew her) that she wanted to be scratched on her butt right on top of her rump. She would wriggle her upper lip and move her head up and down (like in mutual grooming ) in estacy. She might have simply associated us with a good scratch. "Oh goody, a human with opposable thumbs that can scratch itchy places I cant reach." type of thing. I eventually taught her (with food modivation) to greet me head first then a good butt scratch.

Dont fret because your horse is not vocal in you arrival, some simply arent such.
 
#10 ·
I have had a lot of horses over the decades & only one that didn't nicker at me. She did have a little trick though that get her our attention. She was one of the prettiest horses I have owned- a gaited palomino, but we just never clicked. She did go to a great home and now when I walk out my door & get nickers & a snuffling or a bray from the donkey. I really lucked out to find a small gaited mare that is a dappled buckskin & a gorgeous red Morgan mare. And the donkey has quite a fan club here-folks come over just to see her! I just love my little herd & yes donkeys can be quite stubborn-haha.
 
#11 ·
Some horses don't "talk" a lot I suppose. My mare is a neigher. I've heard her nicker maybe 3 times ever in all the time I have had her. My pony however is a HUGE talker. Sometimes she will just neigh at random as I walk past her stall, lol. Feeding time, super talkative with neighs and nickers. Turn out/in time, lots of excited nickers.
 
#12 ·
Mia talks a lot. It means, "I haven't eaten for days...or 30 minutes, I'm not good at telling time". She will talk when our car pulls into the driveway, although she cannot see us.

Trooper makes a sound like a sheep about once every 2-3 months. He used to herd sheep. The exception is when I ride Mia away and leave him behind. Then he runs around and makes a lot of noise. I think he dislikes me in part because he thinks I keep stealing his girl. Mia, OTOH, barely tolerates Trooper.

Cowboy hasn't made a sound yet, but we've only had him 2 years, so who knows?
 
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