# Rubber band around a Horses Tongue??



## My Beau

To keep the horse from getting it's tongue over the bit. Same reason that some TBs have their tongues tied down before a race.


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## boldstart

Called a tounge tie.
Helps with racehorses and I guess other performance horses with their breathing.

At first its really icky to do, but I dont mind doing it now, unless the horses teeth havent been done and they are sharp =/ lol


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## Honeysuga

lol, definitely looks odd! HMM seems like they have a log going on with his tack and such, is that a bucking strap on his face??


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## SugarPlumLove

ok! thanks for the answers everyone! I understand now!


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## Brighteyes

Ha ha! Looks like Standy racing gear.

That's a tongue tie; they use them to keep the horses from swallowing their tongues or getting their tongues over the bit. If they get their tongues over the bit and the jockey pulls back, they may swallow their tongues. Naturally, this isn't a good thing. It's a common practice among racing Standies and TBs. And, before anyone asks, it does not hurt the horse. :wink:


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## Honeysuga

OOOO gotcha! I see now, I was wondering if that was racing gear... I never or a second though it hurt him, nice big thick band looped once over his tongue, nahh. More for his own safety eh?


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## Brighteyes

Ha ha, that wasn't directed at you so much as "that person" trolling around who is like, "OMGZ, that hurt the ponehs! Racing/Bits/Ties/Riding is CRUEL!" :lol:

And for the safety of that jockeys. It's pretty hard to get your racehorse to stop with a bit slipped under the tongue. :wink: Like trying to stop a fright train by running it into a marshmellow wall!


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## Honeysuga

Icarumba! yep, can definitely see where that would come in handy.


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## musicalmarie1

Wow. I have never seen anything like that. Interesting.... but I don't think I could ever do it!! Ew!!


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## MacabreMikolaj

Haven't any of you ever checked teeth before or had to assist a float? :lol: I've grabbed so many tongues in my lifetime, it's like second nature! The vets around here always use YOU as the assistant for teeth floating so you get to stand by and hold your horses tongue!

Very very interesting, I've never heard of that before, learn something new everyday!


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## charlicata

Best I remember Honeysuga, it's called an overcheck bridle. My old boss used to use one on his Hackney show ponies (pulling a cart). I've done the tongue tying on Saddlebreds. But we used a flat shoestring to keep it from being or getting too tight. To me, it looks like the rubberband would cut the circulation off.


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## musicalmarie1

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Haven't any of you ever checked teeth before or had to assist a float? :lol: I've grabbed so many tongues in my lifetime, it's like second nature! The vets around here always use YOU as the assistant for teeth floating so you get to stand by and hold your horses tongue!
> 
> Very very interesting, I've never heard of that before, learn something new everyday!


 Haha this is true-- though I've been blessed with living near a vet school, and so when the vet comes out to float teeth (along with other things), she brings an entourage of students.


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## musicalmarie1

charlicata said:


> Best I remember Honeysuga, it's called an overcheck bridle. My old boss used to use one on his Hackney show ponies (pulling a cart). I've done the tongue tying on Saddlebreds. But we used a flat shoestring to keep it from being or getting too tight. To me, it looks like the rubberband would cut the circulation off.


That's what I was thinking, abt the circulation. I'd imagine that someone inexperienced could cause some damage with a rubber band!


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## Honeysuga

Nahh it is a thick rubberband and it is only looped once, I highly doubt that would do much damage.


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## MacabreMikolaj

Keep in mind how ridiculously powerful a horses tongue is. It's a MASSIVE muscle, it would take a lot more then a rubber band to cut off circulation! I'd actually be concerned about tying the tongue down for that reason, a rubber band has pretty good give to it.


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## iridehorses

boldstart said:


> Called a tounge tie.
> Helps with racehorses and I guess other performance horses with their breathing.


Horses can only breath through their nose.


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## My Beau

iridehorses said:


> Horses can only breath through their nose.


But if they swallow their tongue and block their trachea/windpipe then the ability to breathe through their nose isn't going to do them any good :wink:


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## iridehorses

My Beau, they do not have the same physical makeup as a human. Their mouth has nothing to do with their breathing and a horse is incapable of swallowing their tongue.


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## Buckcherry

how is it possible for a horse to actually swallow their tongues. I get the over the bit thing, that can be a problem but I don't get the swallowing.....


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## apachiedragon

They can't, Buckcherry.


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## Buckcherry

I didn't think so ...


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## Fluffy Pony

Swallowing their tongues is an old wise tale....


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## churumbeque

Honeysuga said:


> lol, definitely looks odd! HMM seems like they have a log going on with his tack and such, is that a bucking strap on his face??


He has on a harness
It is an overcheck for driving. I would think a rubberband would cut off the circulation


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## MacabreMikolaj

Buckcherry said:


> how is it possible for a horse to actually swallow their tongues. I get the over the bit thing, that can be a problem but I don't get the swallowing.....


LOL, when I saw the video, that's what I assume it was for. Then everyone said it was for swallowing their tongues and I was like "really??? why do ONLY racehorses do it???" :lol: I feel like a goon now.


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## Buckcherry

It's right up there with putting a spoon in someones mouth when they have a seizure so they don't swallow their tongue.. Lol u can't swallow your tongue

somethings people do to their horses.....


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