Yawning or Opening the Mouth Wide
Look at the signal, then look at the whole horse and the situation around it.
NOTICE
The horse opens the mouth widely in a yawn.
- The jaw may stretch open
- The lips may pull back
- The tongue may move
- The head may lower before or after
- There may be one yawn or several close together
Pay attention to what was happening before the yawning began.
WHAT IT MAY TELL YOU
Yawning can appear when a horse is resting or becoming sleepy, relaxing after activity, stretching the jaw and facial muscles, becoming calmer after tension or arousal, responding during or after bodywork or gentle handling, or experiencing discomfort or another physical problem.
Sometimes yawning appears as part of a larger shift from tension toward relaxation.
DON'T ASSUME
Yawning doesn't automatically mean the horse is tired, completely relaxed, releasing stress or trauma, or uncomfortable.
Instead, ask: “What was the horse like before the yawn, and what changed afterward?”
LOOK AGAIN
Watch the before-and-after pattern. Did the head or neck lower? Did the eyes soften? Did the ears become less fixed? Did the jaw and muzzle soften? Did breathing become quieter? Did the body become less braced? Did licking and chewing happen too? Is the yawning frequent or unusual?
The before-and-after picture matters more than the yawn itself.
About “Emotional Release”
As with licking and chewing, a yawn may appear during a broader shift from greater tension toward calm.
If you also see a long exhale, head lowering, softer eyes, less muscle tension, licking and chewing, and a quieter body afterward, it is reasonable to notice that the horse's state appears to be changing.
What we cannot know from a yawn alone is exactly what was “released.” The Decoder does not claim that a yawn proves release of trauma, fear, memories, or a specific stored emotion.
Research / Learn More
What research shows
Yawning has been observed alongside relaxation-related behaviors during massage and manual-therapy studies, making it reasonable to consider it as one possible part of a broader relaxation response.
What it does not tell us
Yawning alone does not establish emotional release, and the current intervention studies are not strong enough to assign one specific meaning to every yawn.
Sources
- Behavioral Assessment of Equine Relaxation Following Manual Therapy — recorded yawning with head lowering, licking/chewing and other relaxation-related behaviors after manual therapy.
- Effect of Massage on Stress Indicators in Recreational Horses — discusses yawning among behavioral indicators considered in massage and relaxation research.