01/21/2026
DID YOU KNOW? The tongue is a mirror of what’s happening in the body in terms of digestion, metabolism and toxic load. It's is one of the fastest-changing tissues in the body, constantly exposed to saliva, microbes, food residues, and inflammatory signals.
A horse's tongue is assessed for color, coating, moisture, texture, swelling, cracks, and scalloping and its location on the tongue. Those patterns are interpreted as indications about digestive/metabolic capacity, Ama (undigested metabolic residue), fluid balance, and doshic tendencies (Vata/Pitta/Kapha).
The tongue appearance can shift with things like dehydration, dysbiosis, reflux, nutrient absorption, and systemic inflammation. All of these factors change how hard the organs have to work to maintain stability. So Ayurveda uses the tongue as a feedback tool not a standalone diagnosis, like a dashboard light that tells you whether the internal ecosystem is running cleanly or under strain.