Strange sounds from my horse's throat - what could it be?

Hi! 🤗

It is a little tricky to answer without having heard or seen the horse, but she may be windsucking. Horses cannot actually burp, even though this might sound like it.

A horse windsucks by tensing the muscles around the throat and the crownpiece. It is similar behaviour to crib-biting, but the difference is that the horse does not brace against anything, such as a box door or manger. Windsucking can be triggered by things like too much starchy hard feed, stress, or not meeting the horse's need to chew and move. Gastric ulcers can also trigger it. A horse can unfortunately develop this easily, and even when you feel it eats plenty of forage, other factors can still play a part. Always make sure the horse has eaten a kilo or two of hay before work, which binds the stomach acid so it does not slosh around and burn the upper part of the stomach.

Diagnosing gastric ulcers requires gastroscopy. You can also try an ulcer medication such as Peptinor or Gastrogard, and you will see an improvement within just a few days if ulcers are the problem. The vet has to write the prescription, though.