You may think that if your horse keeps it’s weight on, and shows no signs of discomfort whilst eating or riding,
that their teeth are in good condition and require no dental attention. However, just by the sheer nature of their teeth, in that they
continue to erupt for the majority of their lifetime, it’s easy to understand how problems can occur.
The position of the teeth within the mouth, along with external factors, such as feeding from a haynet so that the horse eats with
it’s head in an unnaturally high position, can lead to certain parts of their teeth not receiving enough wear, and therefore developing
into sharp points. These points can be extremely uncomfortable for the horse, often poking into their cheeks and tongue, causing a lot
of pain and sores.
Any minor misalignment within the horse’s mouth can therefore lead to problems, such as major hooks, sloping ramps or uneven waves,
to name but a few. As it is very rare to see a horse with a perfect mouth, these problems are found to be all too common place.
One reason that the horse’s teeth don’t get the same attention as say, their feet, might be down to the old saying -”Out of sight,
out of mind”. You might feel that if your horse had a problem you would notice, however, if they dunk their hay in water before
eating, lean to one side on the bit, or shy away from the bridle, would you consider that they have mouth problems, or just quirky
habits?
As an Equine Dental Technician, I cannot stress enough the importance of regular dental attention every 6 months. To put it in perspective,
would you wait until your horse lost a shoe before calling your farrier? In the same respect, your horse should have it’s mouth
maintained and properly cared for regularly, rather than waiting for problems to arise.