Horse "hiding" the tongue upon bridling?

[Joyrider]

Hello wise Cothers!

Got in a new horse today for our school program. I was fitting tack to her and she did a weird thing when I bridled her. She sucked her tongue way back as I slipped the bit into her mouth and then kept it back with her mouth slightly open. So much so that at first I was wondering if she even had a tongue! The bit on her bars and corners was clearly uncomfortable but she kept the tongue sucked back the whole time.

I started with a simple single joint full cheek, then swapped that out for a thin - ish, French link loose ring. Same thing. It was like the metal of the bit was radioactive to her touching it with her tongue. I was going to try a Happy mouth and then maybe a rubber dogbone tomorrow. I ran out of time to keep fiddling today.

I didn’t keep the bridle on for more that a minute with each of the bits. With the second bit, I fed her a small piece of apple to see if she would hold her tongue under the bit normally. She did while eating but then had it way back again after. This is not a tongue of over the bit or tongue wagging around kind of thing. More like you look into her mouth when the bit is in and there is no tongue! From her video that I saw before we received her it looks like she curls in her neck while being ridden. Seeing what she did today is a piece to THAT puzzle. I want her to be as comfortable as possible. Could try a bitless certainly. I didn’t see any trauma to the roof of her mouth or lips or corners. Have you ever seen this behavior?

[Jackie_Cochran]

I think that some horses REALLY DO NOT LIKE the taste of the chromium that is in the stainless steel of most bits. Also some horses are allergic to nickel which is also used as an alloy, and I never saw a horse that obviously preferred a nickel (Never Rust) bit to a stainless steel bit.

You could try rubber, vulcanite, plastic, bronze or other copper alloys, copper, “sweet iron”, leather or titanium bits.

If you think that the problem is entirely with the tongue look into the Surewin bit holder, used by many trainers for race horses with sensitive tongues.

There are also “tongue plate” bits that prevent the horse from even starting the process of putting its tongue over the bit–they help prevent the horse from bringing its tongue back and balling it up. These are also used by race horse trainers among others.

Continue listening to your horse. This horse thinks it has a very valid reason not to let the mouthpiece of its bit rest on its tongue. BE PATIENT. It is a lot cheaper to start by borrowing different types of bits from other people (please clean and return them!)

[Joyrider]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Borrowing some bits is a great idea. I am friends with some local barns and will pursue certainly.

Joy

[endlessclimb]

My late mare would do this occasionally - less during bridling and more during riding. For her it was anxiety. It was her cue that her stress about [something] was beginning to build. Maybe because your gal is new to you, she’s still a little stressy?