The teeth of horses are open-rooted, which means that they grow continuously and rely on chewing to keep their ground down to the correct length.In a perfect world, the rate of wear would equal the growth of the teeth and the main teeth would wear evenly.The horses chew in a circular motion because the top set of molars is wider than the lower set, which means that if the horse has an even bite, sharp spurs can develop.The spurs are "floated" or rasped down with a dental file designed for use in horses.In order to prevent oral pain and assure the health of your horse, you need to know when to float his teeth.
Step 1: Do you know if your horse is having difficulty eating?
Pain can be caused by dental spurs in your horse's mouth.Your horse's teeth need to be floated.The horse may be hesitant to eat.The horse may take a long time to eat.Losing weight is one of the signs that the horse is not eating enough.
Step 2: Sloppy eating can be seen to identify oral pain.
Your horse may become careless and careless eater, slobbering and dropping food out of its mouth.Determine if your horse has food scattered all over the floor.Some horses hold their heads to one side as they chew.See if your horse has a wet chin.They dribble because swallowing involves movement of the tongue, which can be painful.They would rather eat.The saliva is stained when it is damaged in the mouth.
Step 3: Look for signs of breathing trouble.
The horse is less willing to chew and swallow food that is partially mixed with saliva because of oral pain.The dry balls of food can get stuck in the stomach and cause your horse to choke.A lump in the left side of the neck is caused by a line from the esophagus which travels to the shoulder.This is not an emergency that needs immediate attention.The horse can still breathe because this doesn't block the trachea.The food obstruction will cause the horse to cough up fluid and food in addition to causing pain.The saliva can't go when the horse swallows if the esophagus is blocked with a ball of hay.
Step 4: There are balls of grass or hay on your horse.
quidding is the packing of hay or grass between the cheek and teeth of a horse to act as a barrier.As they chew, this cushions the cheek lining.If your horse has puffy cheeks, this can be seen.A sign that your horse's teeth need floating is when it spits the balls out onto the floor.
Step 5: If your horse avoids a bit, the piece of tack goes in the mouth.
A horse with a sore mouth is likely to be uncomfortable with something in her mouth.The horse tries to protect it by shifting the bit to a less painful place when it comes in contact with a sore mouth.The horse becomes preoccupied with avoiding the bit and either throws its head around or tries to get rid of it.This can change a well-behaved animal into one who tosses its head around when ridden, or tries to avoid the bit by bending its neck.
Step 6: Your horse should be weighed.
A horse may lose weight.The horse will learn to eat less chewing food.Coarse hay and hard grains may be avoided by your horse.The horse may lose weight because she is not grinding the food thoroughly.It is easier for the gut to digest food if it is broken down by grinding.If your horse is thin or starving, pay attention.If your horse's mouth is painful, it may only eat the bare minimum or even starve itself.A lack of food energy may cause the horse to be more sluggish than usual.
Step 7: Keep an eye out for signs of indigestion.
Balls of under-chewed food can lodge in the gut and cause indigestion.The symptoms of this include abdominal pain, which can be felt by kicking at their belly, rapid shallow breathing, wide-staring eyes, and flared nostrils.
Step 8: Pieces of food can be found in your horse's droppings.
Because the dental spurs cause pain and result in less thorough chewing, your horse will swallow more full pieces of food.The gut is unable to fully breakdown and digest the poorly chewed food, which includes larger pieces of hay.The horse's dung will contain pieces of hay and cereals.
Step 9: If your horse's breath is bad, you should smell it.
Food can get stuck in the mouth if your horse has dental spurs.The food starts to smell.Bad breath can be caused by the sores in the mouth.
Step 10: Make sure the horse's mouth is open during the exam.
The horse's mouth is held in a semi-open position if a special gag is put into it.This prevents the horse from chewing the speculum when it is introduced, and allows all planes of the teeth to be inspected.
Step 11: The problem teeth can be examined with a speculum.
The back of the mouth is where the problem teeth are located.Without the aid of a special oral speculum, these can't be seen.Most horses tolerate this very well.The oral speculum is a torch-like instrument that can be slid into the mouth to examine the teeth.A vet or equine dental technician has access to a speculum.If the horse is going to toss its head around then it is wise to put a halter on and tie the lead rope with her head in a slightly elevated position in order to restrict her movement and allow better inspection of the mouth.
Step 12: Keep an eye on the symptoms of your horse's mouth.
A once per year inspection for horses between 5 and 20 years of age is fine if you don't see any signs of oral pain.If your horse is under the care of a vet, it is a good idea to check his teeth.A more frequent checkup is needed when the horse is under 5 years old to make sure that the dental arches are lined up.After 20 years of age, the horse is more likely to get dental problems, such as a cracked crowns or a tooth root infection, so twice per year dental checks are appropriate.