Q: My horse doesn't seem
to like drinking from his water trough in his field, even when I make sure it is
clean and free from algae. He doesn't mind drinking water in his yard when I
fill a bucket. This doesn't happen in the summer - only when it is cold outside.
Is it possible for horses to have sensitive teeth, like humans?
A: This is an interesting question. I would say that it is
unlikely that your horse is suffering from sensitive teeth, although there may be
some aspect of drinking very cold water that he is not keen on. If we look at
human teeth, we can be quite precise in assessing what is causing the pain of
sensitive teeth, as this has been well researched. However, after looking at the
structural differences between human’s and horse’s teeth, it is clear that the
same causes of pain will not effect them in a similar way.
Tooth sensitivity in people is caused when the hard enamel covering the tooth is worn down, or the gum line recedes to expose the dentin (the calcified tissue). The dentin contains cells within tiny tubes that, when stimulated - by drinking very cold water, for example - can cause pain.
In the horse's tooth, however, the dentin is constantly exposed on the tooth surface and is not covered in enamel. It is therefore unlikely that a horse's teeth react to extreme temperatures in the same way as those of a human.
Young horses that are teething seem to dislike drinking cold water, as do horses with broken or damaged teeth, so it is worth having your horses mouth assessed to check there are no obvious problems. Unfortunately, the answer may be elusive, and it may come down to the old saying: 'You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink…especially when the waters freezing!'