The Why and How of Equine Dental Care

When I used to teach summer riding camps for kids, we always spent a day focusing on horse care. It was always really fun showing them just how much work horses are (yes I was trying to scare them out of convincing their parents to buy a pony and put it in the backyard), and teaching them a few little-known facts (at least to the general population). My three favorite tidbits of information to share with the un-horse-initiated, which never fails to amaze them are …

• Ponies are not babies. They are just small. And they will never get any bigger. Really.
• Did you know horses can’t throw up? Really.
• And did you know horses’ teeth grow? Really!

I knew that horses’ had to have their teeth floated yearly before I really understood why. Now that I know why, I have an even greater understanding of the importance of regular care.

Here are the basics every horse owner needs to know.

The Mechanics of Your Horse’s Teeth

Your horses teeth grow constantly. Really. It’s not like our teeth that grow in when we are babies, get knocked out by our adult teeth, which then grow in. And that’s it.

Horses’ teeth constantly “grow” until they get into their mid-twenties. The cheek teeth have enough reserve crown to last 20-25 years with an average amount of wear.

They also have a lot of teeth that go back really far into their mouth … nearly the whole length of their jaw.

Your horse’s upper teeth are set 30 percent wider than their lower teeth. As a result, they grind their food using side-to-side movement rather than chewing like we do. This allows them to make complete contact between their top and bottom teeth. This grinding action naturally wears down your horse’s teeth.

On top of the natural wear from grinding, grasses contain a silica that wears down horses’ teeth. A horse living on natural grasses 24-7 is more likely to wear his teeth down evenly on his own.

The problem arises in that most domesticated horses do not wear their teeth evenly, which creates sharp edges that are painful and interfering. These sharp points irritate the cheeks and tongue and can eventually lead to ulcers, usually in the cheek beside the last three upper cheek teeth.

Yearly Equine Dental Care  or “Floating”

A routine part of your horse’s care should be having your vet examine his teeth and determine if he’s in need of care. He needs to have a dental examination yearly, but may require more if he has problems. The frequency may also vary as he ages.

The average horse will also need to have his teeth “floated” once a year to remove the sharp and jagged edges. What is this floating? It just refers to the process by which your vet or equine dentist smooths out your horse’s teeth.

In the olden days (OK, as little as 10 years ago), this was done manually with a metal rasp. Today, your equine dental care provider has much better tools and thus can provide even better care. Instead of a metal rasp, they have a foot-pedal-powered motorized drill that does a lot more of the work.

Ace just had his teeth done last week and here’s what the process looked like for us.

First he received a sedative to make it easier on all of us. (Horse’s nerves end near the gumline, so it isn’t a painful process, just one that is very unsettling for them).

Then the vet strapped the speculum on and cranked it open so he  had access to Ace’s teeth. He also had a sling on an adjustable pole to rest Ace’s chin on so he could do his teeth without having to hold his head up too.

The vet shined a flashlight in and took a good look, and also felt all over Ace’s teeth with his hand to get an idea of where the sharp edges were and what needed to be addressed. He then pulled out the wand with the electric drill on the end and got to work filing down the sharp edges on Ace’s cheek teeth. Here’s a good shot of the vet working on Ace’s stablemate Louie.

If your horses teeth have received regular care and need minimal work, it’s a quick and easy like it was with Louie. If your horse isn’t used to it, hasn’t been done in recent years, and needs more work, it’s going to take a little longer. Even my uncooperative horse (who needed a second dose of sedative because he was still trying to chew and moving his tongue so much the vet couldn’t get back there) only took about 15 minutes. Ace made it hard to get to his very back teeth safely with the drill, so the vet actually dug out a good-ole hand rasp for the last two teeth.

After the vet finished his work, he did another exam to make sure everything felt nice and smooth. Then, after removing the speculum, he put his ear to Ace’s nose, and manipulated his jaw sideways to hear that everything was right.

And that was pretty much it. The horses hung out in their stalls and weren’t allowed to eat for the next few hours while the sedatives wore off. They were back to normal pretty quickly after that.

Signs Your Horse Needs His Teeth Floated

Many times a horse with sharp or jagged teeth is experiencing discomfort long before he shows any noticeable symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have him checked out regularly.

Sharp teeth cause several common problems you might notice with your horse. If he shows any of the following signs, teeth issues are one of the first things you want to either rule out or address.

• He’s losing weight. Smooth teeth aid in better chewing, which aids in better digestion. Better digestion increases absorption of nutrients and improves health.
• He’s not eating as much, or having trouble eating. If sharp edges are bothering your horse’s cheeks and tongues, he may be reluctant to eat, or you may notice difficult in eating such as dropping grain.
• He’s  irritable when you ride. Your bit puts more pressure on the teeth and lungs aggravating him even more if he’s sore
• He’s not responding as well to your rein aids. Same as above.
• He shows discomfort with the bit, such as opening his mouth or moving his jaw side to side.

So, next time your vet is out be sure to have him take a look at your horse’s teeth if you haven’t already. It’s very important for your horse’s health and comfort to keep his teeth in good condition. Feel free to comment if you still have questions, or if you would like to share any additional information on equine dental care.