TMJ - temporomandibular joint

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Cor

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Hi guys, anyone knows how I can detect any symptoms of TMJ?

After ruling out teeth (checked recently), correct fitting of saddle, and changing bits, my mare's uncommon behaviour (she resists contact and she tosses a lot her head around), could be explained by this, as her dentist has suggested. So I would like to rule out this possibility before checking other things... I should mention this change happened suddenly, no other signs of ill health, my mare is a horse that comes into contact very easily with no force at all, and stays there very willingly.... The tossing, in my view, certainly indicates pain somewhere.... vet is coming to check her this week.
 
I have read the link, very very useful, apparently not a lot of people know this...
The symptoms do match her behaviour, I will try to use the test on the link.
When I rode her yesterday she was fantastic in trot and walk, minimal effort to keep her in contact, but when once we did our first canter she got crazy....

Would not stop cantering, pulling on the rein, tossing her head, even in trot after a downward transition. Would it be possible that pain is more during canter??
 
I doubt riding makes it worse to be honest. Gentle massage of the jaw joint by my ear eases it. U know ur horse, maybe u could try this. Otherwise have u considered bitless as it would eliminate pressure on the joint altogether
 
I suffer from it too (human version) have to wear a splint (well try to if its correct!). Causes me jaw pain and down to my shoulder (left side) and sometimes my pelvis and agravates my knee.
I eat soft foods or well cooked foods - nothing too hard to chew, otherwise I really suffer for a good 3-4 days. I would really suffer eating a lovely cookie... its the chewing is the problem. Massaging does help too. I have put it down to dental issues and need my teeth in places building up to get the right balance/bit. It is weird as with my split in I can move my neck to the left and touch the top of my shoulder and if I take it out I get stuck. Chiro treatment helps which is costing me £££sss. Now my dentist, Chiropractioner and I plan to meet up to work forward in my treatment plan (well I hope).

Do you give your horse soft sloppy feed and soft hay (rather than course/hard hay) to eat - this may help.
 
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Spotsrock said:
Also it's not all the time, does ur mare miss behave sometimes but not others?
Click to expand...

I would love to try bitless, but she is quite a strong horse, so that means I could lose some control... But perhaps it is worth the effort...

This is the thing, she does not always misbehave, like yesterday she was fabulous in trot and walk, beautiful contact, but once we cantered, that was it, she went looney, some days are worse than other.

She gets hay and chaff, nuts and sugar beet as her feed but in wet form, so that would make it easier for her right??
 
My horse has a problem with his TMJ and my osteopath sorts it out every 3 months or so. If left it can lead to him becoming locked up in his shoulders, back and hips. His symptoms are hanging on the bit to the left, being very tense in the jaw and this leads to him not going forward. He can look bridle lame and even unlevel behind.

I can also tell when he is suffering as will eat on one side. A good video is the Masterton Method on YouTube.
 
Your vet might also do a lameness workup, as being ok in walk and trot but not canter can be a sign of a lameness issue behind. TMJ problems are relatively uncommon but would be diagnosed by the vet with something like an x ray or bone scan. You might also like to have a physio or a chiro out (ask your vet's permission and advice) as they could assess and treat any e.g. related muscle tension.

Head tossing could be anything though, I saw a video this weekend of an advanced dressage horse whose throat didnt behave as it should, so it couldnt take a contact and was worse at canter. Exercise wearing a special camera confirmed that and the horse had a tie back op which cured it.

Long story ahort, see what your vet says :)
 
I would also just make a point of getting dentist to re check- thought my tb had it dentist was convinced- i wasn't as it came on not long after being filed. I felt all inside mouth luckily he is stoopid so lets u! Turned out one of his back teeth was sharp and when riding it must have been pushing on bit or tongue and he exhibited all symptoms. Just a thought
 
Hi I have just found this post in a google search.. I too have problems with a new horse we purchased in Oct he was 5 in June this year but we have had a horrid time with him. all of a sudden he hates cantering then we get a period where he is good as gold then horrid again but violently so bronking/bucking as soon as you sit in the saddle. He has often shyed away from being handled at head height and showed muscle tension at his withers for no reasons.
The vet today confirmed what I could see exteranally is infact some issue with his TMJ but needs x rays to check what is going on
Have you had your horse injected?

Trying to react to his symptoms we have previously taken off his flash noseband He wears a Memory foam half pad to cushion his wither area. He still reacts in canter if you try to collect him. Some days you can not canter which is a bit annoying when you are in a jump off!
 
Like Spotsrock I also have the human version. Nothing in particular sets it off with me, though in my case it was initially caused by fracturing my skull in almost the same place on three separate occasions over a period of time.
 
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