kezimac
Well-Known Member
My Physio holds the tongue until the horse relaxes the tongue as she is sore thru her tmj, it is sort of myofascial release, it isn't pulled out but held to one side
my chiro is excellent and very thorough (incl tmj release) and has never ever touched one of my horses' tongues.
i don't know how you'd know if there was damage, or not, tbh. i have a vague wonder (and this is totally vague and probably 100% groundless, please don't quote me on it, it's pure guesswork on my part) of whether it might be one of the contributors to headshaking, if it can possibly upset the balance in the ear, if the hyoid bones are damaged? does that sound mental though? headshaking does seem to be a newish phenomenon... was tongue-holding done in the old days? i have no idea, need an ancient stud groom to ask!
fwiw I've had horses try to pull away when I had hold of their tongue, it doesn't automatically calm them. something I'll never do again, to be sure.
Holding the tongue to the side does not cause damage to the hyoid bone as far as I am aware, and I spent 7 years studying to become an equine physio plus a lifetime of experience riding and competing. Pulling the tongue, however, can very definitely cause irreversible damage, as described earlier, to the delicate hyoid bone. If you want to find out exactly how strong / weak the hyoid bone and related structures are, there are various options for attending equine dissections, including those organised by Gillian Higgins of Horses Inside Out. I use a technique involving the tongue, amongst many other techniques, to help release various muscular tensions, in particular around jaw, poll and neck, and even such seemingly unrelated issues such as pelvic asymmetry. This is not a technique that I recommend owners to use as it can be dangerous if you are unsure of what you are feeling for. In answer to one of the questions above, yes, holding the tongue out to the side has been used and abused for many years. Dr Kerry Ridgeway has written a very informative article on this subject, but I don't have a link to it on my phone.
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