Tongue-tie (tack)

A tongue-tie is a piece of equipment used by horseback riders to prevent the horse from getting his tongue over the bit, which would make the animal very difficult to control. It is usually a strip of cloth or rubber, passed through the mouth and tied below the chin.

Tongue ties are illegal in most competitive events. The device is controversial in come circles where its use considered abusive. However, due to the life or death safety and control issues inherent in certain sports, such as horse racing, it is considered by some to be a necessary tool for some animals used in extreme horse sports.

Research has shown that the tongue-tie does not restrict the animal's breathing. [ [http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.2001.62.779?cookieSet=1&journalCode=ajvr American Journal of Veterinary Research: Effect of a tongue-tie on upper airway mechanics during exercise following sternothyrohyoid myectomy in clinically normal horses] ] However, research has also shown that the tongue-tie does not provide a respiratory benefit in healthy animals (as some trainers believe it prevents the horse's tongue from coming up, and therefore allows for free air intake). [ [http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/rirdc/articles/miscell/tongue.htmlTongue Ties do not Restrict Airflow in the Exercising Horse] ] Other studies have shown that it does help prevent dorsal displacement of the soft palate, but success rate is low. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12405729&dopt=Abstract The effect of a tongue-tie in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate] ]

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