Some horses
will develop sharp points on their teeth from uneaven wearing
or growing. A horse's upper and lower jaws may not align perfectly,
leaving the overhanging sides of the teeth to grow out into
sharp edges. The back molars can cut the horse's cheek or tongue
if left untreated and make chewing and riding painful. For this
reason, horses need to have their teeth floated periodically.
"Floating"
is the process of gently filing sharp edges down with a long-handled
dental rasp. The process is quick and painless and generally
requires only minimal restraint. If a horse is headshy or has
never been floated, it may act up and require sedation, but
your equine dentist can make that descision.
Some vets
prefer to sedate the horse and insert a full-mouth speculum
(a devide to hold the mouth open) so they can examine or better
reach areas of the mouth.
A horse's
teeth should be checked yearly and floated if necessary. Some
horses will need to have their teeth floated more often than
yearly, and others may be fine with floating only every several
years. It depends on your individual horse, how its jaw is formed,
and how fast its teeth grow.
If your
horse begins to dribble grain from its mouth, pass whole grains
in its manure, chew slowly, or fight the bit it may be because
the teeth need to be floated. Pain may also be caused by other
problems, such as injuries to the mouth, broken teeth, or a
bit that fits incorrectly.
You can
check your horse's teeth by reaching in where the bars are and
pulling the tongue aside and examining the teeth. Be careful
when you do this-- if the edges of the teeth are sharp, they
can easily tear your skin. Your horse can, of course, also bite
you if you don't handle his mouth properly! Never stick your
fingers or hand into the horse's mouth unless you really know
what you are doing.
