TONGUE TROUBLE

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police9384

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Hi, I am a new user and need some advice. I have a Welshy who's 14. I av owned him for just over 2 years. After about 8 months he started to stick his tongue out of the right side ov his mouth and twist it. It is very unsightly and initially I had no control when he did it. I have worked through and can now control him when he is tongue twisling ! He is constantly trying to get it over the bit and when he can't he pokes it out and tilts his nose to the left, this inturn causes him to hang on the right rein and he refuses to bend.

I have tried everything, back checked, tack and saddle checked, teeth done, calmers, tongue layer, everything and I am at a loss as to what else to try. He is not stressed he just has a very very bad habit.

This is letting us down in our showing classes as the judges say he is stressed even though he is responsive, calm, ears out, listening to me etc...

PLEASE, PLEASE any suggestions as I am desperate and the next step is an equine behaviourist. This has now been on going for 18 months !!! :confused: :eek:
 
I'm afraid there is no cure that I have found! Mine sticks his out to the left and more so when he is concentrating. He doesn't try and get it over the bit though.

The only suggestion I have had was that it might be due to old nerve damage in the mouth, my dentist although advised it could be, never actually found any proof of it and as I mentioned before, the more he concentrates the more if flaps about.

A behaviourist wont be able to stop it.
 
I had a mare that did this, she was so bad she would flip her tongue over the bit within 5 seconds of the bridle going on. We tried flash nosebands, tongue layers you name it and nothing worked.

Then by chance I read that some horses with low palattes (sp?), big tongues, or a combination of the 2 just haven't got room for a standard thick'ish bit. I remembered the dentist commenting about her giant tongue :) and went out of my way to get a really thin frenchlink. She never even thought about getting her tongue over it again, even with just a cavesson noseband!

If you haven't tried it it would be worth buying a really thin mouthpiece and see if it help :)
 
Agree with Oldmare - they often do this is they feel there isn't enough room in their mouth.

I would try something like a peewee bit or something like a hippo with is very thin, and only use it with a cavesson noseband.

Try not to be tempted to use a flash for a bit, it may take some time for him to settle.

Then next season when you start showing again, try and find a thin version of what you are using now x
 
Other thing might be to try a thin bit with a small port. My mare loved the mylers (she had expensive tastes bless her ;) )
 
Thanks for all the advice. He currently has a rugby pelham which isn't that thick. Tried him with a Myler pelham which was also very thin but he still did it. Also ride in a contact but still does it.

Are bitless good for brakes ? Plus I can't show in a bitless or hackamore.

I'll keep trying but may have to resign myslef to the fact that he will always do it....Maybe this is why he was put in a field for 2 years with nowt done with him !!!

Thanks again :)
 
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