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[RC] bits and tongues - JonniI have been lucky, to not have a horse that gets its tongue over the bit. But, I have many friends (mostly carriage drivers) who have dealt with this. It seems that many feel it is about two things. Mouth comfort, and anxiety. They are uncomfortable with the bit, which can cause anxiety . You need to start with checking the teeth. Make sure they are not causing discomfort. Next, look at the conformation of the mouth. Often horses that are short from the corners of the mouth to the front of their mouth have more trouble. Also, horses with low pallets, and some have kind of a "fat" tongue for a small mouth area. Then, start looking at the bits you use. A snaffle will often bump horses in the roof of the mouth, especially one with a low pallet. Many of the carriage drivers have had great success with Myler bits, and with Mullen mouth bits, as they fit their particular horses mouth better, thus, making them more comfortable. Just as conformation tells us that some saddles fit better than others, some horses have very different mouth conformations, and not all bits will work on all horses. But, a horse can have discomfort and want to evade the pressure if it is not being used correctly. Riders who really hang on the horses mouth, jerk the reins, and are hard handed, can cause the horse to want to evade the bit, and often put the tongue over it. By the way, many horses have NO brakes after they get the tongue over the bit, and have been known to bolt. They do make this rubber thing, that goes on any bit, and it is to help prevent them from getting their tongues over it. Kind of makes a "port" effect. It looks kind of like a thumb, and attaches in the center of the bit. But, while it might prevent the tongue from going over the bit, it is not curing the reason the horse is doing it. You need to figure out why the horse is doing it first. Jonni =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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