WILL TONGUE TIES BE A THING OF THE PAST?

Tongue Ties, a helpful tool or should racing follow suit with ban? They’ve been banned in most horse sports since 2004, and in 2018 Germany banned it in TB racing. There are numerous welfare concerns regarding their use, so why hasn’t the UK followed suit?

A tongue tie, also known as a tongue strap, is a band of rubber, leather or nylon that is tied around the horse’s tongue and then around it’s jaw, which fixes the tongue in place. In theory, this reduces the likelihood of a respiratory condition called DDSP – dorsal displacement of the soft palette, which decreases airway function. However, a diagnosis of this condition is not required to wear a tongue tie, and the evidence is rather limited as to whether it reduces the incidence of DDSP. There are some that argue the improved performance observed with the tongue tie may actually be related to the horse not being allowed to get its tongue over the bit, which results in greater control and makes breathing easier.

Which in theory sounds good - surely improved airway function can only be beneficial to a horse during a race? However, studies have found that the use of a tongue tie causes stress, and it is worth noting there is a reason that a horse would be trying to get its tongue over the bit. Usually this is due to some kind of discomfort or anxiety and tying it down and preventing this will only heighten the problem further.

I think my stance here is clear, that UK racing should really consider banning tongue ties. Some may disagree, and I can understand why people use them; but I believe no race win is worth compromising a horse’s welfare for. 

written by Gabrielle Murray