Effect of 'tongue tie' use on racing performance of thoroughbreds in the United Kingdom.
Authors: Barakzai S Z, Finnegan C, Boden L A
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Tongue Ties and Thoroughbred Racing Performance Intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) remains a significant performance-limiting condition in racehorses, yet evidence for the efficacy of 'tongue ties' as a therapeutic intervention has been mixed in the published literature. Barakzai and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using Racing Post Online Database records to examine whether tongue tie use correlated with improved racing performance in UK Thoroughbreds, comparing lifetime earnings and race outcomes between 108 horses that raced wearing tongue ties and matched unexposed controls drawn from race meetings between 2001 and 2003. Horses wearing tongue ties showed an odds ratio of 1.85 for earnings improvement compared to controls; notably, this effect strengthened substantially in horses that wore ties for consecutive starts, with odds ratios of 3.60 and 4.24 for those completing three or five consecutive races respectively, and horses showed significantly increased earnings when racing with ties compared to their pre-intervention performances. These findings suggest that tongue ties may provide a genuine performance benefit in a selected population of racehorses, though the retrospective design and selection of horses already symptomatic enough to warrant intervention mean results should be interpreted cautiously when considering broader applications. For equine practitioners, this work provides quantifiable evidence supporting tongue tie use in performance horses with suspected DDSP, though individual assessment and consideration of alternative or concurrent management strategies remains essential.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Tongue ties may improve racing performance in Thoroughbreds, with greater benefit seen with repeated consecutive use (3+ races)
- •Consider tongue tie application for horses experiencing DDSP, as earnings data suggests improved performance outcomes
- •Effect appears cumulative—horses wearing tongue ties consistently show better performance than single-use application
Key Findings
- •Odds ratio for improvement in race earnings was 1.85 for horses that ran at least once with a tongue tie
- •Odds ratio increased to 3.60 and 4.24 for horses that ran in 3 or 5 consecutive races wearing a tongue tie, respectively
- •Horses wearing tongue ties for 3 or 5 consecutive races showed significant increase in earnings when wearing a tongue tie compared to their pre-tongue tie races
- •Tongue tie use appears to have a beneficial effect on racing performance in a selected population of Thoroughbreds