In the past, horses were often given sugar cubes as treats. But that’s not good for your teeth.
As a result, many horse owners have now switched to healthier alternatives.
Source: YouTube screenshot – viralhog
Mega funny reaction of the horse
This horse owner makes fun of giving her darling some sugar cubes. Apparently she doesn’t expect the funny reaction.
As soon as the horse chews on the sugar cubes, it starts pursing its lips. It seems to want to say something like: Yes, what a treat.
Source: YouTube screenshot – viralhog
But what is behind the raised lips?
Flehmen is a behavior horses exhibit when they detect certain odors. It’s a way of absorbing and analyzing the smell.
When a horse flemes, it purses its lips and pulls them back, revealing its teeth.
The horse then inhales through its nostrils and holds its breath while analyzing the smell.
The smell is then transmitted through a special organ in the horse’s mouth, called Jacobson’s organ.
Smelling is a horse’s natural instinct and is used to gather information about potential mates or prey.
It can also help evaluate substances such as food or medication.
When a horse pleads, it’s important to leave it alone so it can fully analyze the smell.
In this case, the horse probably wanted to absorb the taste and feel of the sugar cube.
This is a natural reaction that only looks funny to us observers.
J Higgs comments relatively ironically under this video that such an addiction starts with humans:
«It’s always that one person you thought was your friend.»
OffTheRip432 tries to put himself in the horse’s shoes and read his thoughts:
«It might be thinking, ‘I can’t believe how pure this taste is’.»
Here is the direct link to the video: