Horse Teeth

Looking after horse teeth can save you a lot of problems!

Horses teeth keep growing at a rate of 2-3mm per year. The grinding of food will wear them down. They can develop sharp edges and hooks on their molars which will cut into the cheeks and tongue. This is very painful for the horse!

Older horses teeth grow at a slower rate but they can also have other problems. So you should have these horses checked more often.

A tooth can also get infected, abscessed or cracked and in some horses the wolfteeth have to be removed.

Tooth issues can effect the whole body!

You should always have your horse`s mouth checked if you have one of the following problems:

Horse is loosing weight and condition

Disobedience or performance problems when the horse is being ridden, being behind the bit

Horse eats slowly or is reluctant to eat. Uneaten, sometimes rolled up food might drop out of the mouth

Bad smell of the mouth

Colic

Swellings somewhere on the head

Head shaking

Horses should be checked every six to twelve month by an equine dentist or a veterinarian that specializes in horse dentistry. Younger or older horses need to be checked more often.

The dentist will float (rasp) the teeth to remove sharp edges or hooks. Most horses will need a sedation for this procedure.

For more info on Horse Dentistry look here

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SBI!