Hi, I’m wondering if anyone else has this issue? I can find lots of info about tongues over the bit or out of the mouth over but my horse isn’t doing that. She just pulls the tongue out from underneath the bit and holds it back there. Like completely behind and does her best to keep it back. She drools, large amounts of watery bubble drool, not the good lipstick kind. Tense, won’t keep her head anywhere as she keeps chewing with her mouth, I assume to swallow the saliva and opening her mouth attempting to spit the bit out. I can go into more detail, just wondering if anyone out here in internet land have the same issues and how you dealt with it?
Yes, pulling the tongue back is a common evasion. I found a bit like the bombers happy tongue bit, can help. Something about the bit, or the hand is making the horse uncomfortable.
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I had a horse that did this, I switched his bit to the Neue Schule Verbindend and that solved the problem for him. It wasn’t a contact or rider issue in this case, just a mouth comfort issue.
Sounds like she has a sensitive tongue. My 2yo did this today, but he’s just getting used to wearing a bit so I’m sure he’ll try a bit of everything as he learns. What bit do you have your girl in?
Mine does this, but only when he is tense and anxious. When he is going softly, in balance etc then his mouth is quiet. I have tried a few bits, and he is in a Turtle Tacito bit.
I haven’t owned one that did this, but have ridden one. There are lots of lovely, anatomical bits out there for horses with sensitive tongues now, I would try there. If you can find a bit she prefers, that doesn’t exacerbate the issue, it will just be a matter of time and training from there.
For me, personally, I’ve had good luck with tongue-sensitive horses not using any kind of flash or tight noseband. I find if you force the issue it just leads to them obsessing over it. (I know others have had the opposite experience, as I am often advised to tighten my current sensitive-mouthed horse’s mouth, so YMMV.)
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It may be from pain elsewhere…especially if she’s tense.
It’s more common than you think.
On a dressage test sheet, it will read « tongue up »
A change of bit is often needed.
Your riding should focus on establishing a good elastic contact, that you can get good flexions, and making sure your horse is in front of the leg as horses tend to get their tongue up when they suck back, get stiif and are behind the leg.
I rode a horse who did this in the double, no matter which combination of curbs and snaffles we tried. In his snaffle alone he was perfectly fine.
https://www.facebook.com/lindatreurhorseriding/posts/2209952422550880?hc_location=ufi
This might be worth a shot to help determine what kinds of bit to try.
Thank you all for your answers! And I wanted to follow up incase anyone else had this issue and reads this post later.
I’ve never had to deal with this particular issue before. But honestly it’s been there her whole life, I just didn’t realize it. Hind site is always 20/20 🙄 I always had an excuse or guessing could it be this could it be that kinda thing. And she doesn’t get ridden often (as in years at a time cause life gets in the way ) so this is truly the first time I’m really analyzing what is going on and what makes her tick and what can I do about it. So I really watched both in hand, on the ground and while being ridden and figured out it’s is 100 percent tongue issues. She would pull it right out from under the bit all the way and actually hold it behind the bit once any kind of pressure is applied. Plus the, “chewing” was actually her working the tongue around trying to hold it out of the way and breath and swallow at the same time. And this is not an issue of riders hands. Literally any small pressure and she would react. Looking back I can see over the years and with different bits and attempts how she was trying different tactics to avoid the tongue pressure.
I chaulked it up to everything from maybe being dental work/tack fit/being green/not being ridden/being ridden to much/feet issues/attitude, Yada Yada Yada to more recently small mouth/low palate /fat tongue/Arabian.
So! Now that I’ve got it figured out! I did the bit assistance program with Myler bits and ordered the recommended pony size, 4.5", D ring with hooks, level 3 mouthpiece with curb strap.
Annnddd! Tada! Folks we have a miracle. Seriously. There is a night and day difference. Immediately.
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She is definitely still figuring out how it works, and you can tell when she still expects it to be uncomfortable and it’s strange that it’s not. I am going to basicly start all over again with her training because essentially this is the first time she’s been worked without the pain/irritatedness of the bit. And she’s 17 now. 😣 So it’s like having a big baby.
I’m actually going to start a new thread about that but I wanted to put this out there for anyone else needing help.
