Advice needed on ponies mouth

[sarah23]

My lad rode out our little pony today (first time in a while) and she was not happy with her mouth. She is only ridden in a snaffle. Anyway when I got back to the yard she had blood in her mouth and down both sides of her tongue she had what looked like bruising about 1" to an 1 1/2". I've not seen this before.

Any one tell me what might of caused it (Her teeth have been checked and all ok)

 

[Paris1]

Was the bit twisted or did pony eat whilst out?

 

[Moomin1]

Have you checked her hay - any twigs/sharp bits? Also - thistles in fields can cause terrible lacerations higher up in the mouth, and many horses find them irresistable despite this!

Could be any number of things, but I would try and look in her mouth with a torch and you may see something untoward. If not I would be tempted to give a vet a ring and have them out to do a check.

 

[sarah23]

Bit not twisted, Nor pony eating when out and no food in mouth before we went out riding.

 

[Beausmate]

Sounds like she might have pulled her tongue back, got stuck behind the bit and bitten it.

 

[Moomin1]

Is it a jointed snaffle - sometimes as mentioned above they get their tongues above the bit and the joint can catch/pinch them badly in the process.

I hate to mention this also - and please don't take offence - I don't mean it nastily - but are you sure your son hasn't been roughly handling the bit out riding? I would think it would need a lot of force to be fair, but not out of the question?

 

[Littlelegs]

A similar thing happened to my daughters friends pony. Pony had tripped & fell on to one knee, child let reins slip immediately but it had the same effect as a good yank (or at least that was the dentists theory) is that perhaps likely to have happened?

 

[sarah23]

No because I would kick his backside if I ever saw him being rough with the horses mouth and he knows it.

It would make sense about trying to get her tongue over the bit as I thought that was what she was doing, so when I got back to the yard I got of my horse and told him to walk up and down past me so I could see if she was putting her tongue over the bit (she wasn't) but was rolling her tongue around her mouth. That's when I looked in her mouth and see the marks down both sides of her tongue.

What bit should I go for

 

[Beausmate]

What bit are you using at the moment?

 

[sarah23]

This bit and she can pull the bit through her mouth if she decides she want to go a different way to you

http://www.zilco.eu/products/121324

 

[Beausmate]

Maybe try something with a French link or lozenge, possibly in a hanging snaffle version?