Random question re: horses foaming at the bit

[robynandTilly]

Just a random query really, how many peoples horses produce foam in their mouths when you school them? i am currently working on getting my mare working into the bridle more and relaxing her back however she never ever produces any foam what so ever, however all the top dressage horse seem to always foam at the mouth and i just wondered is this normal and somthing i should be expecting my horse to do once shes fully working correctly or is it just some horses do and some dont?

 

[Cortez]

Foam is produced when the mouth/jaw is relaxed and is a sign that the horse is accepting and carrying the bit correctly. It is a desirable trait, but not all horses produce visible foam. Unfortunately foam is also produced when the OPPOSITE occurs - the horse is tense and overactive with the tongue, but it is "different" foam. An experienced judge or trainer will be able to tell the difference. Sorry, this isn't much help really :-(

 

[robynandTilly]

Foam is produced when the mouth/jaw is relaxed and is a sign that the horse is accepting and carrying the bit correctly. It is a desirable trait, but not all horses produce visible foam. Unfortunately foam is also produced when the OPPOSITE occurs - the horse is tense and overactive with the tongue, but it is "different" foam. An experienced judge or trainer will be able to tell the difference. Sorry, this isn't much help really :-(

I'm just curious really but thats cleared it up abit i tried googling it but didnt find any helpful answers only the horse being tense etc which i thought doesnt really fit with the majority of dressage horses producing foam. It all started as i watched my instuctor riding his youngster the other day and by the end of the session she was producing foam.

Thanks

 

[Klix]

My horse foams at the mouth however he jaw is too relaxed and goes behind my hand and drops the bridle.. To the uneducated eye she looks pretty but to me it feels and looks vile! Not a very helpful post but maybe she loves to play with her bit hence the foam?

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I think they foam up in rediculous amounts when they're tense and can't swallow it or something like that. If you look just after getting off there may be a little foam around the bit. Some horses lick it off quickly because they like being tidy I guess. It's like when they eat grass with some theres a tiny bit in the corner of the lips by the bit, with others they're covered in copious quantities of green slime, though now I come to think of it those are often the ones with flash nosebands so perhaps it again comes down to how much movement they have in their jaw.

 

[Hunter93]

I'm glad you asked this question as I was going to ask it as I could work a lot in a school and my tb wouldn't foam!

 

[cundlegreen]

Lots of white foam with splashes of it on the body, shows resistance in the mouth with the horse pulling its tongue back. My driving Hackney used to come back covered in it! You should be seeing just a little moisture around the mouth.

 

[robynandTilly]

very interesting thank you for your thoughts makes you wonder doesnt it from some of the horses you see out and about :0

 

[Orangehorse]

A trick that some dressage people use (who?) is to give the horse a polo when they put the bridle on!

Too much foam is, as the above posters say, a sign of distress, sometimes from their throat being crushed if held in a tense, strong hand.

What you are aiming for is a relaxed, soft, moist mouth.

 

[weebarney]

I always followed the traditional school of thought that its good to foam but have read on a site lately that's its because the horse is unable to swallow.

 

[posie_honey]

a little bit of moisture/froth is a good sign

too much is a sign that they are not swallowing - often because of too tight nosebands and tension through the jaw

 

[tallyho!]

Yes lipstick foam is the acceptable form... Drooling like a Burnese Mountain Dog is definitely a no-no.

Any drooling or dripping is a sign of not swallowing the saliva and its really quite disgusting and you see this all the time in top competition... Check for a crank noseband and too much metal and leather and not enough "riding" and you will find the cause.

Before anyone says how dare I criticise competition riders who "clearly" know more than me because they are in competition ought to have a think about what constitutes most competitions these days.

 

[CBFan]

If you wantto encourage your horse to relax in the jaw, feed her a piece of apple or a mint just before you mount ...Then work her with soft hands

 

[Cortez]

The "good" foam is produced by the saliva glands (parotid gland) when the throat is relaxed and at the optimum angle; excess foam is often seen in horses which are tense in the jaw and unable to swallow. This is why foam is seen as desirable (result of relaxation and connection with riders hand). The sort of mad frothing as seen on many competition horses (of many disciplines, not just dressage) is disturbing, to say the least.

Edited to say that faking it by feeding stuff is not going to really produce the desired effect. Have heard of some GP dressage riders using shaving cream just before enterring the ring.

 

[CBFan]

Edited to say that faking it by feeding stuff is not going to really produce the desired effect. Have heard of some GP dressage riders using shaving cream just before enterring the ring.

It isn't faking it!! The act of chewing is actually releasing tension in the jaw...