tongue tie requirement

Question
hello. may i know how would i get to know that my horse requires a tongue tie while riding it?

Answer
Hello

Thank you for your question.

Tongue ties are most commonly used to keep the horse from putting his tongue over the bit and to aid in control. If your horse plays with the bit alot, he is probably in need of a tongue tie.

There is also a physiological reason for using a tongue tie.  It prevents the dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), what is commonly referred to as a horse "swallowing its tongue" which will obstruct the airway passage.

If a racehorse is running brilliantly thorough the entire race but seems to just quit on the homestretch, that may indicate the horse is "choking"...or swallowing its tongue and be in need of a tongue tie.   However, if a horse is fading in the homestretch there are several other issues that may be going on that are more serious than just needing a tongue tie.

Be sure to rule out bleeding by having your horse scoped at the end of its race. Slowing in the homestretch is a classic sign of a bleeder, although it may be just microscopic bleeding and not obvious by the the naked eye.

There is a really good segment about properly using tongue ties in the Trainers Test material.

Another thing to consider when a horse is playing with the bit alot is its teeth.  Be sure the horse has had its wolf teeth removed and there are no retained caps on the molars.

Hope that helps to answer your question.  Let me know if I can be of further help.

Best wishes,

Maureen Millen
www.trainerstest.com
www.racehorseresources.com