An "Issue" with Salivation

[wiccanz]

I have a 4 yr old gelding who has a bit of an issue with his bit salivation ... he salivates well, too well, and instead of letting it simply drop out of his mouth, he swallows it, coughs/chokes on it, and sometimes it ends up coming out his nose! Not pretty in the show ring ...

He has only been to 2 shows, both recently, and apart from the excess salivation, did very well.

Here are some pics:

http://awol.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=119856272

http://awol.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=119856403

I've had him since he was about a month old (I bred him), he was always been a bit of a head case, although he was never given reason to be. I trained him myself, and apart from his silliness, all went pretty much to plan. He had plenty of mouthing, probably more than any of my others.

Any suggestions or comments welcome

ETA: He drives in a non-pinch half cheek snaffle.

 

[RhineStone]

Have you had his teeth checked? The width of his bit? Have you tried using different bit materials, i.e. stainless, copper, etc.

Just some ideas.

Myrna

 

[MiLo Minis]

There is a fungal disease known as slaframine (sp?) poisoning that causes excess salivation. It is a result of eating pasture, or hay, that contains alfalfa, red or white clover that is infected with the fungus. It usually causes excessive urination too, and sometimes diarrheah. It can cause breathing difficulties too.

 

[Reble]

I had a stallion that used to do something similar but not as bad as your guy. He played with the bit and when standing was crunching on it and made a lot of noise in the ring, well the judge was walking around him.

We bought a French link copper driving bit, and it was like night and day.

http://miniexpress.com/bits/french-link-copper-driving-bit/prod_7.html

 

[wiccanz]

Thanks for your replies.

Myrna, yes his teeth are due for a check but he had no wolf teeth to remove at his last visit, and his teeth were very well done then (12 months ago). So teeth could be contributing, but I don't feel they are a major issue. His bit size was measured at the same time, and I ended up buying a second Myler Comfort Snaffle in 4" size ... so he has plenty of room there. I've tried both stainless and copper mouthpieces, and several different types of bits. He seems to be happiest in the bit he is in now.

Milo, he only really does this over salivating, or rather mismanaging his saliva, when he is driving ... he is otherwise a happy and healthy individual. And he hasn't had any of the pastures or hays that you mention, so I'm thinking it's more to do with his mouth and his brain

He's always been a bit "odd" lol

Thanks for the link Reble, I'm another one of those who likes to have a collection of bits .. looks like I have another one to add to it

Another thought ... could this possibly be a simple teething issue? He is 4 1/2 yrs old, and has some ugly tooth bumps on his face at the moment.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Is he drooling/salivating on the bit or chewing on it? If he is over salivating already then I wouldn't go with copper - that makes them drool more! You might try sweet iron if he is chewing on the bit but it too can make them dribble a bit more. If he is actually chewing on the bit that is a whole different story! If you had his teeth done a year ago and he is now 4 1/2 with tooth bumps it is time to see the dentist again. He could easily have wolf teeth coming in or in along with other issues if he is exhibiting tooth bumps.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Has he been checked for throat/airway health issues? It wouldn't surprise me to find there's some anatomical anomily(sp?) which could cause something like that.

Leia

 

[Sue_C.]

Has he been checked for throat/airway health issues? It wouldn't surprise me to find there's some anatomical anomily(sp?) which could cause something like that.

I too was thinking along that same line. Is there such a thing as a minimally cleft pallet? It just seems odd that it should so easily blow back up through his nostrils.

If there is nothing physically wrong, he might just not KNOW how to swallow with the bit in his mouth. If you've a place you can turn him out alone, and under absolute observation, I would hang a bit in his mouth with breakable twine...leaving him to eat, drink and wander about with the bit in his mouth. Some horses have to be "taught" how to properly carry a bit...and this is what I do with all my beginners. Even after that, I had one horse that never learned to drink while carrying a bit...but he drinks "differently" too...he pulls his lips back and drinks through his teeth; so with a bit in his mouth, he cannot create the suction required to drink...silly boy...there is one in every crowd.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Agree with all the prior suggestions,especially Sue C.'s about letting him thoroughly learn to deal with having a bit in his mouth; one more occurs to me. I have no personal experience with it, but know that sometimes, a bit is wrapped with a stretchy Vetwrap-type stuff? latex? Wonder if that might help him, perhaps, by muting the sound from the mouthing? Even helping absorb some of the excess 'slobber'? Don't know if this would occur, just throwing out a thought...

Margo

 

[Sue_C.]

I have no personal experience with it, but know that sometimes, a bit is wrapped with a stretchy Vetwrap-type stuff? latex?

Yes, you can use vet-wrap, I cut it into thin strips and wrap...but the proper bit-wrap is the latex strip, which I prefer over vet wrap because it sticks even better. You can find it at most tack shops. I cut it into thin strips as well, and a little bit goes a long way.

 

[wiccanz]

Thanks again everyone, lots of good suggestions

He doesn't chomp the bit but he does mouth it lightly. And because of his already plentiful supply of saliva, I was steering clear of anything with copper in it. His wolf teeth have already been taken care of (from memory, he had none ... if he did, they were removed).

I like the idea of wrapping the bit, he can be a sensitive soul, so perhaps that will help him. I'm also going to get his palate investigated, just in case there's something wrong in there.

Just one other thing ... he doesn't do this over-salivating on a regular, "normal" basis ... only when there is extra stress involved, such as competition circumstances, or if I'm asking a bit more than usual from him at home.

 

[MiniHGal]

He's cute! Sounds like he is a stress salivator. I would definitely look into a full mouth speculum exam to see if they can see anything abnormal with his palate. If you want to get expensive and want to try to get to the bottom of it, you could get him to a place that has a treadmill and a scope. They can watch his oropharynx (basically the connection between all the soft tissues, the place where the saliva would be transported up and into the nasal passages) while he is working with a bit in his mouth. There can be multiple abnormalities that might assist his saliva in making the return journey down the wrong passageway (nose not mouth).

Something else that might help is putting him in a bit that doesn't move as much, such as a mullen. Such bits can be less encouraging to mouth and chew. I also find that horses in mullens that salivate a lot tend to drool, not froth (not all of them, but most). That means that the drool is more likely to stay in the mouth and going out the mouth, and not through the nose.