Rubber band around a Horses Tongue??

Haven't any of you ever checked teeth before or had to assist a float? I've grabbed so many tongues in my lifetime, it's like second nature! The vets around here always use YOU as the assistant for teeth floating so you get to stand by and hold your horses tongue!

Very very interesting, I've never heard of that before, learn something new everyday!

Best I remember Honeysuga, it's called an overcheck bridle. My old boss used to use one on his Hackney show ponies (pulling a cart). I've done the tongue tying on Saddlebreds. But we used a flat shoestring to keep it from being or getting too tight. To me, it looks like the rubberband would cut the circulation off.

Haha this is true-- though I've been blessed with living near a vet school, and so when the vet comes out to float teeth (along with other things), she brings an entourage of students.

That's what I was thinking, abt the circulation. I'd imagine that someone inexperienced could cause some damage with a rubber band!

Nahh it is a thick rubberband and it is only looped once, I highly doubt that would do much damage.

Keep in mind how ridiculously powerful a horses tongue is. It's a MASSIVE muscle, it would take a lot more then a rubber band to cut off circulation! I'd actually be concerned about tying the tongue down for that reason, a rubber band has pretty good give to it.

Horses can only breath through their nose.

But if they swallow their tongue and block their trachea/windpipe then the ability to breathe through their nose isn't going to do them any good

My Beau, they do not have the same physical makeup as a human. Their mouth has nothing to do with their breathing and a horse is incapable of swallowing their tongue.

How is it possible for a horse to actually swallow their tongues. I get the over the bit thing, that can be a problem but I don't get the swallowing.....