Lip popping

[PasoBrio]

My gelding pops his lips when I ride him. It doesn't matter if he is nervous, calm or what gait he is in. Is this fairly normal, or is it something I should be trying to stop? If I show him would he be penalized for this?

[Pinto Paso]

MANY Pasos are lip poppers... some like yours are all the time, some when content and working well and others when they are nervous...

I dont think you would be penalized if the horse is not fighting the bit..
Maybe one of the judges or trainers that are currently in the ring a lot will weigh in with their experiences now. I have never had a judge tell me that it was a problem.

[CarolU]

I agree with Stef...many horses pop their lips, some fart with rollers in the bit, some twist their upper lip around. Sometimes it's nerves or fear, but I think most times it's just an outlet for energy. I've seen horses do it with no bit, and even young horses before they are bitted.

No, I can't think of a PF breed judge who would hold it against you. There are some other breed horses who occasionally do this too, but you might run into a problem at Open shows.

[Pasogirlz]

Many famous Pasos are lip poppers. ;-)

[Brigitte]

Alot of Pasos do it, and I haven't seen one penalized for it.

[motorgypsy]

To give you an idea just how common it is in our breed it's called "fino lip". I've never seen one penalized for it. These are horses that are easily bored and they like to play with their bits and flap their lips. Chinook shakes her head up and down and flaps her lips if she's bored even with no bit at all.

[PasoBrio]

I thought it was probably okay. I've been to a few shows, I used to show a gelding in pleasure and thought I remembered a few horses here and there popping their lips but I wasn't sure.

Are fino horses more likely to do it? I'm just curious because my gelding "I believe" is fino. I'd really like to get him to a trainer to get their opinion and fine tune him for the show ring and plan to in the near future. But anyway the popping is faster the faster his feet are going, if he is flat walking it is slower, and sometimes he pops a few times on the way into the arena. He seems to keep time with his feet. Most people at the stable where I board find it amusing, though a few of the other horses give him the evil eye and pin their ears when they hear him coming and he just looks at them like "What's your problem?" lol.

Just curious, what famous horses did this? I was wondering if it might be someone in his bloodlines (Mayoral, Petrolero del Juncal, Postin, Bochica, Contrapunto, Majestuoso)

[Pasogirlz]

I know Joyero III is a lip popper.
My fino mare lip pops some.

My moms Largo mare pops her lips sometimes.

I think it just depends on the horse. ;-)