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On the horses that slip their tongue over the bit
What can one do to keep a high level Dressage Horse? Slipping
the tongue over, or between the bits is a bad habit that horses often
develop when they are being started (broke). When starting a horse, always adjust the snaffle bit rather high with the noseband correctly placed. Slipping the tongue is usually caused by using the wrong bit, wrong size, or incorrect adjustment and usage. Note of translator: there is a hollow spot behind the horse's chin (you can usually put your hand in it) between the jawbone, the groove in which the tongue rests inside the horse's mouth. It will be referred to as the "tongue groove". 1. Are your bits compatible with your horse's mouth? Horses that
have a thick tongue or a narrow "tongue groove" suffer from the pressure
created by the bit on the tongue and slip their tongue on top of it
to relieve the pressure. If the horse has a narrow tongue and a wide
"tongue groove", all the bits will be compatible: the tongue will have
enough space. How to
tell if the bit is the right size? 2. Are your bits well adjusted? The bits have to be correctly placed on the bars (the spaces between the front teeth and the molars) without knocking on the teeth. Adjust the snaffle bit so that the corner of the mouth touches the bit without being wrinkled if possible. The bit must not hit the horse's premolars. This is easy
to achieve with a horse with a normal mouth, or a rather high-split
mouth. Do not hesitate to add holes in the side pieces of your bridle, even if it does not look so good. It's is very important. The curb chain
must always lie flat, and loose when the reins are loose. It has to
tighten without slipping up when the bit is at an approximate 25 to
30 degree angle. The bit must never be at an angle greater than to 45
degrees. The fine tuning of the bits is done progressively, by trying different ways. It can change. An example is when the leather stretches over time… The noseband should not allow the horse to open his mouth too far, permitting him to slip the tongue. It should just give the horse enough space to swallow and play with the bits… 3. Is it a riding skill problem? What if the bits are the correct ones, and they are well adjusted, but the horse still slips the tongue? Then it is a riding skill problem… or It can also be a nervous response to the approach of a specific exercise (I.e. the piaffe), especially if it always happens at a certain moment or intermittently. It can also be boredom… Try to determine when your horse is slipping the tongue. Test the horse's calmness and relaxation. The most
efficient solution is to put your horse in the most comfortable posture
possible for him: general balance, relaxation on the bit (head set),
height of neck, general relaxation, and degree of impulsion… The real
remedy is to work on putting the horse "in your hands". This is a difficult problem that can take a long time to resolve. In conclusion,
check if the bits are well adapted and well adjusted to your horse's
mouth, or if you have to revise some parts of your riding skills. YOUR REACTIONS… Henri Wagneur, a Rider from Switzerland, (website at www.wagneur.ch) brings us the following precisions: About
slipping the tongue, I have had to deal with numerous circus horses
that had never been ridding in their lives because they were free lunged.
Some of them still slip their tongue, even with a well adjusted bridle.
What I do when the horse slips the tongue over the bit, that has always
worked well for me, is the following: I call him to me, put his tongue
back in place, pat him and give him a couple of treats. It takes a while
but the horses generally stop by themselves after several weeks.
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Posture-position / Walk / Trot / Canter / Shoulder-in / half-pass / Flying change of lead / Pirouette /