29/04/2025
Horse owners please note! This subject is back! I heard a very disturbing tale some time ago now from a dental colleague (a BAEDT member) who had been treating the same horse for a number of years with no problems; this year, the owner decided to use a 'dentist' new to the area (not BAEDT) who 'diagnosed' various problems, but recommended to 'exercise' the tongue by pulling it out from side to side at full extension to help 'realign' the hyoid apparatus (see pic). Since this treatment (and one session of tongue pulling) the horse was unrideable due to violent evasive head movements under saddle and the owner was left distraught and wondering what had happened.
The hyoid apparatus is a set of delicate bones, one of which (no.3 in the diagram) is attached to the base of the tongue. The bones, delicate joints or the tongue itself could easily be potentially irreversibly damaged by such 'treatment' 😔
We have heard a few tales of tongue pulling to 'realign' the hyoid apparatus, and there seem to be a growing number of videos on Youtube, Facebook etc of persons performing this 'technique'. Some appear to be very credible professional looking people that I can only assume are doing as they have been taught by someone else. No disrespect to you, but please think again before performing or recommending this technique. Mostly it was Australia but it appears to be spreading like a disease around the globe. The first person attributed to this was Dr Kerry Ridgeway in USA, however he did not publish any scientific evidence or research about it and there are reports of it doing more harm than any possible good.
The hyoid is not a 'gyroscope' for the horse as stated in one video, and to attempt to realign the hyoid through tongue pulling, manipulation or any other method is in our view potentially damaging, and a potential welfare issue. Also, logically if the hyoid was ‘displaced’ or ‘out of alignment’ you would 100% know about it as your horse would be in marked distress and no amount of tongue pulling would help.
It is really important that all professionals whether they are body workers, physiotherapists, dental technicians or vets work together as a team for the good of the horse - we must all follow the science - there is none for this. Please, do not let anyone attempt to manipulate your horse's hyoid apparatus.
