Page 68 - December 2015

TONGUE INJURIES
Any device used for keeping the tongue in place should be adjusted carefully because these can injure the tongue.
IN HORSES
by Heather Smith Thomas
Tongue injuries are fairly common in horses; it’s not unusual to see a horse with a scarred or dam- aged tongue, or even part of the tongue missing. This type of accident can happen if the horse bites through his tongue during some kind of stressful activity or handling, bites his tongue during a fall, cuts the tongue on a sharp object, or is injured by a bit. The most common injury is a cut through the middle portion, in which the tongue is left somewhat constricted by the scar tissue that forms and is not as mobile as it once was.
Dr. Bruce Connally, a veterinarian in Berthoud, Colorado, with a sports medicine practice, has seen many tongue injuries in more than 35 years as a veterinarian (early years as a field service veterinar- ian at Colorado State University). “The majority had already healed. They were discovered when looking into the mouth for some other reason,” he says.
He discovered one old injury where the tongue had been nearly cut in two and healed while doing a dental exam. “No one suspected this situation. The horse seemed perfectly normal. Most tongue injuries heal fine. I have photos of tongues that have healed, and one horse’s tongue had been nearly cut off. These types of injuries across the width of the tongue are usually from harsh bits or from people who were very heavy-handed or jerking on the reins,” says Connally.
BIT INJURIES
A sudden forceful pressure, especially if the tongue does not have time to move away from the bit, or a severe jerk as when the horse steps on the reins or pulls back when tied by the reins, may injure the tongue. Some bits are harsher than others and more apt to cause injury if the reins are jerked. A frequent cause of injury is when a horse runs off and steps on a rein. If the horse is not accustomed to dragging a rope or reins, he may panic when he steps on the rein and his head is restrained, and he may jerk his head up.
“I looked at a horse a few years ago that had a bit scar across 25% of the tongue, and the owner admitted that the horse bucked when he was young and ‘we got a little rough on his mouth.’ But, he didn’t know he’d cut the horse’s tongue,” says Connally. The horse showed no obvious signs of injury and it didn’t bleed much.
Dr. Tia Nelson, a veterinarian/farrier in Helena, Montana, says a horse may have an old injury and
a scar on the tongue and the owner may not know what happened. The scar itself may not be discovered unless someone looks into the horse’s mouth.
“I bought a horse years ago at an auction sale—a very nice off-the-track Quarter Horse - and all she knew how to do was run. I was trying to figure out why she was so hard mouthed, and when I looked in her mouth I found she had a full-thickness laceration of the tongue that had healed. This might have hap- pened if someone used a double-twisted wire snaffle, cutting the tongue with the bit,” Nelson says.
TONGUE TIES
Some racehorses run with their tongues out. “Race trainers use tongue ties and various methods to keep the tongue in the mouth when they run,” says Connally. “No one knows why some horses stick out their tongues as they run, but some people stick their tongue out when threading a needle! Maybe the horse is concentrating!”
Any device used for keeping the tongue in place should be adjusted carefully because these can injure the tongue. “Tongue ties help some horses run better, but seem to bother other horses and they don’t run as
Veterinarian/farrier Dr. Tia Nelson said horses may have old injuries and scars on the tongue which are only discovered if someone looks into the horse’s mouth.
Dr. Bruce Connally has seen many tongue injuries in his more than 35 years as a veterinarian.
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SPEEDHORSE, December 2015
EQUINE HEALTH