It can be good and it can be bad. Let me explain.
The presence of good foam is what my trainer used to call “lipstick”. It’s a thin line all the way around. Seeing it even on BOTH sides of the lips means the horse is working evenly in both reins, both sides of the bit. They aren’t grabbing or leaning on one side.
As a bit fitter, I LOVE to see an even foam pattern when I swap bits. I am looking to see if only one side of the bit is covered in goo. I see saliva only one side of the bit, often. I address the riders hands and we try to see if the horse can be even or if it’s a body issue that the owner needs to dig deeper into.
Foam that I do NOT like to see?
Dripping.
From the bottom center of the lips. Drip. Drip. Drip. Big clue to me is a horse showing clear signs of distress and tension and drippy saliva all over its chest and front legs.
This tells me several things. One, the horse is NOT SWALLOWING. The reasons for that can be many things, the wrong bit, the riders hands, holes in the training/horse doesn’t understand connection or how to give to the bit, the horse wasn’t taught to carry the bit correctly. I can address the wrong bit, the rest I can bring attention to but it’s up to the rider to fix it.
