Do You Know If Your Horse’s Jaw Hurts?

Do You Know If Your Horse’s Jaw Hurts?

Jaw pain can wreak serious havoc.

Picture this: you’re bridling your horse, and they don’t want to open their mouth for the bit. 

Once you do manage to pry their mouth open and put the bridle on, you pull them up to the mounting block. Your horse tosses his head as you ask them to stop for you to mount. You climb aboard and walk off, and you notice that your horse is carrying their head a bit tilted.

If any parts of this scenario sound familiar, your horse may be experiencing jaw pain.

The jaw joint, also known as the temporomandibular joint or TMJ, can be prone to discomfort or pain in horses, as they use it so frequently when eating, chewing, and riding. If your horse is anxious or tense, they also might clench their jaw and trigger TMJ pain.

Do you suspect your horse has jaw pain? Check out Unlock Your Horse’s Jaw: The TMJ Masterclass, the online course from Freely Forward Bodywork.

In this course, you’ll learn how to identify symptoms of jaw pain and how to palpate to identify discomfort. You’ll also learn several techniques to massage your horse’s jaw (and other important facial muscles) to help alleviate pain and make your horse happy and comfortable again.