Do you get confused with white foam all around your horse’s mouth? It goes everywhere, even all over his chest.
So why do horses foam at the mouth?
Is it a matter of great concern?
What are you going to do with this?
If you don’t know anything about horses, you would think foaming at the mouth is a sign of trouble. But it’s normal for a horse to secrete foamy saliva during exhausting physical activities because it indicates a relaxed state of his mind.
White foam in a horse’s mouth
How Is The Foam Produced?
The white foam you see is the little excessive saliva.
Foamy saliva production happens during and after eating. This is because the horse breaks down more food thanks to enzymes found in saliva. If the food is more difficult to digest, the jaw will pressure the salivary glands, causing salivation.
It also occurs when the horse stretches his neck forward and flexes at the poll. Then, he relaxes it and the jaw at the same time.
Is It A Positive Trait?
As mentioned before, it indicates a correct physical reaction and a relaxed state of mind.
The result of salivating is that the horse chews more gently, moves his tongue, and swallows, which helps the relaxation of the jaw and poll.
We want the horse to drool because that means he’s not right in his jaw or holding his saliva and glands.
Foaming at the mouth means that the jaw softens and that the horse accepts the bit, letting saliva flow rather than tightening his mouth.
And yeah, if there’s no moisture there, there will be tightness and non-acceptance of the bit. So the fact that horses foam at the mouth is a good thing.
How To Achieve A Desirable State Of The Horse’s Foaming Mouth?
It depends not only on the state of the mouth but also on the horse’s bodily structure.
First, make sure your horse has a good posture. You must care about how he raises his back and curves his neck to crane forward so that the salivary duct is not inhabited and the mouth does not dry out.
What’s more? Want your horse to chew the bit?
Let’s think when you go to the dentist, he puts something in your mouth, and you have to hold it for 90 seconds. Then he gives you a tissue because you drool.
It’s the same for the horse.
Most coaches or riders like to give their horses apples or sugar or something like that to encourage the saliva flow and bring them some relief.
If you have a horse that doesn’t foam, don’t worry. Instead, put the bit in his mouth, feed him a little bit of apple or piece of sugar, and see if that increases the saliva. It does help to induce abundant salivation.
Every Secret is Revealed
Now you may have an apparent answer to the question, “Why do horses foam at the mouth?” Well, a horse foams because of the salivating process, which is common and even desirable.
If you like this article, please leave your comments. Also, make sure you hit the subscribe button so that you will never miss any interesting facts about horses.
Source:
