Severely scarred tongue?

siennamiller

siennamiller

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So, I bought my horse in March, the vet did her teeth when he did her jabs, didn't mention anything. I had her done again on Monday as I wasn't sure if vet had done a decent job (various reasons), and he when the dentist put the gag on her he discovered her tongue had almost been severed about halfway up.
She is irish, and also has scarring behind her ears, so I am wondering if she had had her head strapped down (as I know they do that a fair bit over there), and had panicked, or got caught up.
My questions are, would you have expected vet to mention this (I would), and as it is exactly where the bit goes, whether it will affect her. She is quite funny with her mouth, I know she got socked in the teeth a lot in her last home, so I assumed that was why.
Any thoughts?
 
You blame the vet who saw her once for not noticing and yet you who have had the horse since march and presumably put a bridle on her lots have never noticed ?
 
:( Poor girl

I maybe would have expected them to notice, however I would not be cross that they didn't - if I had had her vetted I would have expected it to be noticed though.
 
I am not blaming the vet, I am saying he should have noticed and told me. There is no way you can see it without a dental gag on it is halfway up her tongue.
I just thought that he should have mentioned it, the dentist was shocked that he hadn't told me.
I tried her in a dr cook, but she didn't seem to keen?
 
Hmm, what would be a good bitless bridle then? She does go quite well in her 3 ring gag though, which obv has some poll pressure too. I do have to be able to have her in a bit as we have started eventing.
 
i would try a Micklem bridle with the bit clips on and possibly a nathe bit? You can take the clips off for the dressage section. The clips will stop extreme pressure on the tongue. Sounds horribly like they might have used wire in her mouth so I would get the vet to check whether she has feeling or pain in the scarring as if she has then a bit might not be possible, the work bridle Micklem has two types of bitless without poll pressure with it, the dr Cooks type that comes with it does.
 
my horse has the exact same scarring. Another member on here also has a horse with a similar scarring. Both our horses came through dodgy essex dealers although I don't know which one in my horses case. I ride my boy in a hanging cheek snaffle with a lozenge which he seems to like and find comfortable. He came to me in a 3 ring gag. I do use a cambridge kimblewick for more exciting stuff as he can be very strong and he also seems to like that bit.
 
Hmmmm, that's interesting, she came from Ireland for definite, are yours irish. My poor pony, she has obviously been badly treated, but she has a lovely (if slightly stressy) nature.
I did try her in a hAnging cheek, but I need to get a happy mouth as she seems to like e happy mouth. She def needs her 3 ring for xc, as she loves it, but that is happy mouth too.
Glad she found me (wasn't looking to buy a horse, she practically fell into my lap), she is VERY spoilt!
 
If the scarring is that high on the tongue the bit won't sit on it. If she's happy in a bit and not happy bitless I'd be more tempted to leave her in a bit she is comfortable with!
 
unfortunately i have no idea if he came from Ireland although i wouldn't be surprised if he did. He has a very welshy personality though so suspect he is welsh x something. When I first got him 6yrs ago he hated people and was not safe to handle. He still gets upset very easily and then takes a while to settle back down again and detests people around him that are loud.He has a very defensive personality. He has almost certainly been abused at some point in his life. We suspect the scarring is due to a wire twitch in an effort to control him as he was such a handful. I tried a happy mouth type bit for mine which he didn't seem to mind but after a while i noticed he had been chewing on the bit as it started to fall apart so swapped it for a standard metal one.
 
Both the hanging cheek and the 3 ring, when you pick up the reins, are lifted off of her tongue, and work more on the corners of the mouth. I agree that the hanging cheek could be an option. Also definitely try rubber or plastic, my own horse is much happier in both. And again, something with room for the tongue, which I think a happy mouth is, might be an idea. You aren't allowed any ported bits in dressage though, I don't think.

I would put sheepskin on the headpiece (and also use a comfort monocrown instead of a traditional headpiece) to reduce the poll pressure effect.

I use these -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HKM-REAL-...Horse_Wear_Equipment&var=&hash=item2a3f744559
 
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Z is quite stressy as well, and I am beginning to understand why, she is much better with a settled life, quiet yard and adjusted diet. Plus she loves her work, enjoys her jumping etc (I think, I know she loves her xc). you are allowed to use a hanging cheek, that is interesting about how it works tho, I didn't know that. I might try a comfort headpiece tho.
I wondered of she had had her head strapped down, and with panicked, or got caught on something. I know this is something that is done quite a lot in Ireland
 
siennamiller said:
I wondered of she had had her head strapped down, and with panicked, or got caught on something. I know this is something that is done quite a lot in Ireland
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That's twice you've said that, twice you've insinuated that you know an entire nation of people regularly strap down the heads of horses and I'm here to tell you that you are wrong and ignorant to say so. If a horse was injured from such an experience the most likely injury would be to the neck. How would a tongue get severed in that situation. Spike knows of the same injury to 2 horses and what they have in common is an Essex dealer but you're still trying to pin it on anyone from Ireland. Why don't you take a closer look at who you're buying horses from
 
I don't mean to insinuate anything, but I know quite a few irish people who do this they put a bridle on, then side reins, and strap their head down to the girth. If they then got caught up it could easily have injured the tongue and behind the ears.
No offence intended to anyone, just know it as a fact.
I bought the horse from a friend, who bought her from Ireland
Edited to add, I have also never said it as a criticism, I have just stated a fact (and it is).
 
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A friend of mine has a horse with a similar scarring which was caused by a chifney. Basically the horse spun whilst it was being led and ran off treading on the lead rope which was attached to the chifney leading to the tongue being shredded in two, rather like an offset snake tongue! He's fine in a mullen rubber mouthpiece or a curved mouth.
 
the most likely cause of tongue scarring that is fairly extensive is tongue twitching, my mares dam had scarring that was almost full thickness across the width of her tongue, it was where the bit sat and was lopsided but the mare never resented a bit (she objected big time to being told what to do-full stop), I work with one that also has extensive tongue scarring from tongue twitching and she is very happy with a bit but a bit sensitive in general--I have to ad both are from Ireland and arrived with their injuries but they may have been caused in transit
 
In the states I come across a horse with a split tongue from an injury. He was ridden in a little S hackamore. If yours stops well but needs steering might be an option.
 
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