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Chewing: Horses may develop choke if they do not chew their food properly.Therefore, horses with dental problems (e.g. acquired or congenital malocclusion, loose or missing teeth, or excessively sharp dental ridges) that do not allow them to completely grind their food are particularly at risk.
Hypersalivation can contribute to drooling if there is an inability to keep the mouth closed or difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia) the excess saliva, which can lead to excessive spitting. Hypersalivation also often precedes emesis (vomiting), where it accompanies nausea (a feeling of needing to vomit).
The problem with ramps is that they prevent the horse from freely chewing side-to-side. This causes improper and over wear of the molars. It will also, along with an underbite, cause severe discomfort when a bit is placed in the horses mouth. To solve the problem, the dominant tooth must be reduced to allow the opposing one to recover. [2]
Mouth pain caused by biting results from tissue compression, laceration or stretching, inflammation and impaired blood circulation. [17] The repeated rubbing or impact of the bit can cause bruises, cuts, tears and ulcers in the horse's mouth. [18] Swelling and bleeding bars can cause a horse to try to slide its tongue over the bit. [8]
The horse possesses a long, narrow tongue that typically measures approximately 40 cm in length and 9.3 to 10.7 cm in width, with an average weight of around 1.2 kg. [1] [2] The tongue is composed of over a dozen muscles and is connected to surrounding tissues by a membrane known as the frenulum, [3] facilitating effective chewing. It is also ...
An adult horse has an average rate of respiration at rest of 12 to 24 breaths per minute. [3] Young foals have higher resting respiratory rates than adult horses, usually 36 to 40 breaths per minute. [3] Heat and humidity can raise the respiration rate considerably, especially if the horse has a dark coat and is in the sun.
Even though the horse's mouth is closed, this excessively short overcheck has pulled the corners of the lips upwards, exposing the inside of the mouth. In the 18th and 19th centuries, overchecks and bearing reins were commonly used on stylish carriage horses to keep their heads up, at times to an extreme degree, depending on the fashion of the ...
Roller mouthpieces: tend to make horses relax their mouth and activate the tongue, encouraging salivation and acceptance of the bit. This may also help focus a tense or nervous horse to the bit. [1]: 68 Hollow mouth: a thick single-jointed bit made of metal that is hollowed to lighten the weight from a thicker mouthpiece. Pressure spreads out ...