Strange behavor what could it be??

[Serendipity]

My neighbor down the rode has asked for advice and I was clueless so thought I'd run it by you guy and see if any one has met a horse that does the same.

Story:
5yr old gelding gelded a yr ago.he has always been and edge horse spooky and hard headed and still actis like a colt by bing nippy and struting and talking to mares( already asked yes got both) but in the stall and if you put horse in a round pen he will run a play a while acting normal rolling and so on but then he will cow kick at the sides of coral,stall or the air he will nip at his sides and then kick again in the stall he will just stand quiet then suddenly nip at a side and kick out.he has done this for months she's said and heeats fine and is normal in al other ways not a colicky type horse has never.
so I'm lost to what it could be nipping normally means colick and the kicking out I have no idea.
Anyone with an idea??

[GeorgeGuns]

Ulcers

[Abejita]

well ..could be ulcers..but if he eats fine and never gets colicky..I would have a vet rule it out to be sure...I wonder since he is still acting coltish.studdy..did he have any of these behaviors BEFORE gelding?.sometimes horses will take to 'savaging' themselves to let out pent up aggressions,frustrations..and usually its studs that do it (not saying all studs do it,saying its almost unheard of for mares..) Knew one younger STB stud who would bite himself on the chest , enough to bleedand it got worse when he able to see the other stallion on the farm.

I know you said they got both..but have they done a testosterone assay to make sure they got ALL of both? Was it a hard surgery taht scar tissue could be causing pain? I assume they have talked to their vet about this behavior?

[Jasfino]

I have a gelding that does something similar when he gets angry or frustrated. He will spin in circles like he is chasing his tail, and then bite at his sides and kick out. The first time he did it I immediately thought colic but have since learned thats not the case at all. He puts on quite a show. :roll:

[stella]

You more often see stallions that stand around, esp in stalls, being bored and lonely, savage themselves.(or, if they see others getting attention, esp from females!)
What was life like, before he was gelded? Is he out with other horses now? I bet not. Sounds like he never got a chance to be socialized past being a weanling or so. The behaviors you describe are generally what colts(not fillies much) to EACH OTHER, and is part of normal play....and if he's doing to himself, he's LONELY. Horses are herd animals.

At 5 he's somewhat behind if he does this often, but being he may not have had a chance to be out as much before, although its not uncommon for geldings to sometimes play some, anyway. (my current 2 do also, one is 15 and the other 7, one cut a tad over a year, one this past June).

[Terry Wallace]

Could very well be savaging himself... I had a horse here who did the exact same thing, including kicking the side of barns... he did not have ulcers... but checking for them is also adviseable...just to rule them out.