TONGUE TIES NA TRAINER ISSUE 34_Jerkins feature.qxd 23/10/2014 01:03 Page 1
RACING
TONGUE-TIES
Their place in racing in 2014 The use and efficacy of tongue-ties has spawned much debate, and in 2009, veterinarians at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, led by Safia Barakzai conducted extensive research, which was published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, to evaluate the use of tongue-ties on racing performance in Thoroughbred racehorses. A second study published in the same publication in 2013 from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, aimed to assess whether tongue-ties contribute to upper airway stability and therefore allow horses to breathe easier.
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WORDS: THOMAS O’KEEFFE PHOTOS LEWiS SMiTH/ROSSDALES, SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY iMAGES
HAT horse is making a noise” is an expression when heard around an exercising horse that sends shivers up the spine of anyone connected to the individual concerned Tongue-ties (strips of material passed through the horse's mouth over the tongue and tied under the jaw) have been used for generations on racehorses worldwide. The rider has utilized a tongue-tie as a method to keep a horse from putting its tongue over the bit and thus avoiding loss of control. Additionally, when tongue-ties are used in an attempt to prevent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), anecdotal reports as well as some clinical research have indicated this procedure is effective on some horses and ineffective on others. Tongue-ties or “attache-langues” in the lexicon of Longchamp and Deauville are used in training establishments in North America and Europe on a daily basis and this article aims to explore this common practice.
Welfare concerns Applying a tongue-tie involves pulling the tongue as forward as possible and tying it close to its base around the lower jaw with a nylon strap with the tongue then pulled out to the side of the horse’s mouth. This practice of tongue-tying, however, has led to significant welfare debates, and in some countries the practice is illegal during the winter months because of the risk of frostbite to the tongue.
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In Switzerland, tongue-tying is illegal all year around. It must be stated that the practice of tongue-tying does not appear to cause the horse stress or pain and stimulates little reaction from the horse while their tongue is being manipulated. Obviously common sense must apply, and tongue-ties must not be fitted in times of inclement weather, but this decision should be left in the hands of the horse’s handlers and in my opinion does not warrant further regulation.
The Edinburgh Study Records were obtained from the Racing Post online database for case horses, which were defined as those that had raced while wearing a tongue-tie, and control horses, those that had never raced while wearing a tongue-tie. The case horses had to meet the following criteria: have at least five race starts before wearing a tongue-tie in a race; had not
“Tongue-tying has led to significant welfare debates, and in some countries the practice is illegal during the winter months because of the risk of frostbite to the tongue”
raced during the 18 months prior to August 1, 2008, so as to ensure that their training and racing careers were finished; and had not raced before January 1, 1999, because the use of tongue-ties was not recorded before that date. Each case horse was matched by gender and age with one or two unexposed horses if such matches could be found. The lifetime record for each control horse was examined to ensure that it had never raced with a tonguetie and had started in at least five races before the date when its matched exposed horse raced with a tongue-tie. Performances of all the study horses were analyzed in three groups. Group 1 was made up of all case horses that wore a tongue-tie at least once, plus their matched controls. Group 2 was made up only of case horses that ran with a tongue-tie in place for three or more consecutive races after the first race in which a tongue-tie was used, plus their matched controls. Group 3 was made up only of case horses that ran with a tongue-tie in place for five or more consecutive races after the first race in which a tongue-tie was used, plus their matched controls. The researchers gathered data on the total number of lifetime starts before and after the date of the first race where a tongue-tie was used as well as total race earnings for the five starts before and five starts after a tongue-tie was introduced. Data collected included age, number of starts prior to the first race using a tongue-tie, number of starts within 12 months after beginning to use a tongue-tie, and lifetime