We’ve all had a case of the hiccups, but did you know that your horse can actually get the hiccups as well? Equine hiccups are more commonly referred to as ‘Thumps’, but are scientifically known as Synchronous Diaphragmatic Flutter (SDF).
A horse with thumps will typically present with muscle twitching in their flanks, which are caused by abnormal contractions of the diaphragm. These twitches are normally at regular intervals and can even produce a ‘thump’ noise upon contraction, hence the common name.