horse sticking its tongue out

20 17:22:40

Question

horse sticking its ton hello sir, may i know why do horses stick their tongue out like this in the photo, when ever they are ridden

Answer
Hi Caine,
The horse is not really "sticking" his tongue out. It is common practice in horse racing to tie the tongue to the side for a race. This is done in order to prevent the horse from biting his tongue during the heat of the race and to keep the horse from putting his tongue over the bit. It does not harm the horse, it can swallow and the horse does not seem to mind it. It doesn't interfere with his breathing as horses do not breath through the mouth but only breath through the nostrils. The tongue is untied as soon as the race is over.