Use of tongue ties in thoroughbred racehorses in the United Kingdom, and its association with surgery for dorsal displacement of the soft palate.

The research article discusses the prevalence of tongue tie usage in thoroughbred racehorses in the UK, and its relation with a surgery for dorsal displacement of the soft palate. Quite notably, the study tracks changes in tongue tie usage before and after the surgery.

Overview of the Research

• This research attempted to comprehend the extent of tongue tie usage in thoroughbred racehorses in the United Kingdom. Tongue ties are devices used to keep a horse’s tongue from slipping over the bit, enhancing airway patency.
• The period of investigation was from 2001 to 2003, and included 60 randomly chosen race meetings. The prevalence rate of tongue tie usage as computed from the sample was 5.0%.

Tongue Tie Usage Patterns

• In this study, after the first use of a tongue tie on an individual horse, the researchers discovered that a tongue tie was employed in an average of 77% of the horse’s races during the first 12 months. However, the percentage decreased to 55% after the first year.

Association with Dorsal Displacement Surgery

• One other notable finding of the research is the usage rate of tongue ties preoperatively and postoperatively for horses that underwent surgery for dorsal displacement of the soft palate.
• Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is a condition where a portion of the horse’s soft palate moves upward, blocking the respiratory tract. DDSP often results in poor performance, noise during exercise, and sometimes respiratory distress, thus requiring surgical intervention.
• In the study, 39% of the horses that underwent DDSP surgery raced with a tongue tie preoperatively, while 41% utilized a tongue tie after the surgery.

The findings suggest that while the use of tongue ties is not predominant, it shows consistent usage on the same horses over time and is often associated with horses encountering respiratory distress like the one caused by DDSP.