Before horses were domesticated and made to live the life that we make them live they roamed for hours only grazing on grass. The diet that we have introduced to a horse means that the wear pattern on their teeth has changed and they may develop dental problems. Equine dentistry is a vital part of your horses care.
You will know if you have ever had pain in your teeth that it can be excruciating. The difference for horses is that they cannot tell you that they are in pain. If a horses teeth are not cared for regularly they can develop sharp edges that cut into the gums of the horse.
If a horse cannot eat properly then he will fail to get the essential vitamins and minerals that his feed provides him with. You may find that as well as losing weight your horse is very down in mood and may have a dull coat. Basically he will lose condition and is even more prone to colic and other digestive problems.
Horses that do a lot of work, including competition horses, will be unable top perform with the same vigour and stamina that they do when they are adequately nourished. Another problem with painful teeth is getting the horse to accept the bit. Carrying a moveable piece of metal in your mouth when you have cuts and sores must be extremely painful.
Pain in a horses mouth can manifest itself in a number of behaviours. He may start throwing his head around whilst being ridden due to him trying to escape from the pain of the bit. Being head shy can also indicate that he does not want anything in his mouth due to pain. Before labeling the horse as 'difficult' it is important to get his teeth and back checked.
Apart from problems that manifest themselves in a behavioural manner, there are other indications of tooth pain you should watch for. Dropping bits of food, producing manure with unusually large pieces of food in it, reluctance to eat and frothing from the mouth are all indications of tooth pain and should be investigated.
A horses teeth continue to grow till they are about 20. After this time it can be difficult for a horse to eat due to the loss or the wearing down of their teeth. Every horse should get it's teeth checked annually but older horses and ones prone to oral problems require equine dentistry on a more regular basis.
Equine Dentistry
You will know if you have ever had pain in your teeth that it can be excruciating. The difference for horses is that they cannot tell you that they are in pain. If a horses teeth are not cared for regularly they can develop sharp edges that cut into the gums of the horse.
If a horse cannot eat properly then he will fail to get the essential vitamins and minerals that his feed provides him with. You may find that as well as losing weight your horse is very down in mood and may have a dull coat. Basically he will lose condition and is even more prone to colic and other digestive problems.
Horses that do a lot of work, including competition horses, will be unable top perform with the same vigour and stamina that they do when they are adequately nourished. Another problem with painful teeth is getting the horse to accept the bit. Carrying a moveable piece of metal in your mouth when you have cuts and sores must be extremely painful.
Pain in a horses mouth can manifest itself in a number of behaviours. He may start throwing his head around whilst being ridden due to him trying to escape from the pain of the bit. Being head shy can also indicate that he does not want anything in his mouth due to pain. Before labeling the horse as 'difficult' it is important to get his teeth and back checked.
Apart from problems that manifest themselves in a behavioural manner, there are other indications of tooth pain you should watch for. Dropping bits of food, producing manure with unusually large pieces of food in it, reluctance to eat and frothing from the mouth are all indications of tooth pain and should be investigated.
A horses teeth continue to grow till they are about 20. After this time it can be difficult for a horse to eat due to the loss or the wearing down of their teeth. Every horse should get it's teeth checked annually but older horses and ones prone to oral problems require equine dentistry on a more regular basis.
Equine Dentistry
No comments:
Post a Comment