Tongue relief

We find that many horses respond positively to being ridden with a bit that offers tongue relief (a ported bit) instead of a traditional single-jointed or double-jointed snaffle – or a straight bar bit, for that matter. There can be several reasons why a horse works best with tongue relief.

The need to swallow
One reason is that the horse – like humans – has a need to swallow, and the swallowing motion is performed by pressing the tongue up against the roof of the mouth. If the horse is ridden with a traditional bit (whether single- or double-jointed), the bit will press down on the tongue, preventing the horse from swallowing properly.

A horse produces an average of 38 liters (10 gallons) of saliva per day! It therefore has a massive need to swallow, even while being ridden. When a traditional bit prevents the swallowing movement, some horses will resign, while others will protest. Consequently, when large amounts of foam or saliva come out of the horse's mouth, it can actually be a sign that it is being prevented from swallowing its saliva.

Try it yourself! Press a pencil or something similar down on your tongue and jog around the living room, the riding arena, or wherever you like. You will very quickly feel the need to swallow, and it is incredibly difficult to keep moving while keeping the pencil pressed down on your tongue.

A bit with tongue relief allows the horse to swallow – even when the rider has contact with the reins. Preventing the horse from performing a natural bodily reflex causes stress and discomfort, and you risk the horse focusing on the discomfort instead of listening to the aids and performing its task.

Freedom for the horse's thoracic sling
Physiologically, the horse's tongue has a major impact on the function of the rest of its body. The tongue is connected to the muscles along the horse's underside – including the underside of the neck and the thoracic sling, which lifts and carries the horse's forehand. Therefore, it makes sense that if the tongue is fixed and pressed down against the lower jaw, the horse cannot properly utilize the muscles connected to the tongue, restricting its movement.

When you try a bit with tongue relief, you will most likely find that your horse can move more freely and stay relaxed – especially in its forehand.

Should you change your horse's bit?
Your horse will tell you if you need to find a different bit. You can see and feel it if the horse shows resistance:

• The horse goes "above the bit": The horse raises its head and may toss it. This causes the bit to slide back in the mouth, relieving the pressure on the tongue. The horse may either stay in this position constantly or alternate between going above the bit and working in a correct frame.

• The horse goes "behind the bit": The horse tucks its nose towards its chest to remove the pressure the bit places on the tongue. This shifts the pressure from the bit onto the lips and the bars of the mouth. Just like going above the bit, the horse can stay behind the bit for varying lengths of time.

• The horse roots or bears down on the bit: There are different degrees of this. Some horses root their head down so forcefully that the rider is almost pulled out of the saddle, while others "simply" become heavy in the hands. When the horse roots its head down, the pressure from the bit shifts to the lips and the corners of the mouth, thereby relieving the tongue.

• The horse has an overactive mouth: This varies widely – the horse might put its tongue over the bit, draw it back, stick it out of its mouth, or constantly chew and chomp. An overactive mouth can range in severity, but it is typically one of the first signs that the horse is uncomfortable with the bit. It is crucial to address this behavior rather than trying to solve the problem by strapping the horse's mouth shut with a tight noseband.