Ill-fitting bits found to be common in assessed horses in study
Researchers in Finland assessed the mouth dimensions of more than 500 horses, then checked how their bit fitted.
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Researchers in Finland assessed the mouth dimensions of more than 500 horses, then checked how their bit fitted.
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Share Organisers of eventing competitions are being urged to carry out systematic oral inspections of horses. Photo: TheOtherKev/Pixabay A fresh study has shown the need to monitor the bit area of horses in eventing competitions. The study by researchers at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Helsinki found bit-related lesions were observed in half of the eventing horses examined after competitions. Since most oral lesions are not accompanied by bleeding outside the mouth, the bit area should be monitored, they said. It was found that eventing horses that wear thin or thic...
E-Mail IMAGE: The object of the current study was event horses, that is horses which compete in events composed of three phases: show jumping, dressage and a cross-country test. view more Credit: TheOtherKev / Pixabay In a study conducted at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, bit-related lesions were observed in half of the event horses examined after competitions. Since most oral lesions are not accompanied by bleeding outside the mouth, the bit area should be monitored. It was found that event horses that wear thin or thick bits in events had a greater risk of moderate or seve...
Horsetalk.co.nz Certain bit styles linked to more mouth injuries in trotters The six most common bits used on trotters in the study. Image: https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13401 Certain bits were linked to a higher risk of moderate or severe mouth lesions in a study of trotting horses in Finland. Kati Tuomola and her fellow researchers, writing in the Equine Veterinary Journal, noted that bit‐related lesions are common in competition horses, but little evidence exists concerning potential risk factors linked to their development. In Nordic countries, an 84% to 88% occurrence of oral l...