
Why treat Through evolution the horse roamed freely having to forage for its food for up to 18 hours per day, due to having a relatively small stomach compared to its body size. Also the nutritional value of the hard grass was low compared to the cultivated pastures of today and that made it necessary for the horses to feed for so many hours in the day. When foraging they would also pick up dirt and grit, eat roots and bark which all resulted in their teeth being abraded naturally (including the front teeth!) and sharp edges being dulled. Nature counters this abrasion by exposing more of the horse’s teeth at a rate of ca. 3mm per year and jaw. Domestication of the horse has created many environmental changes. It is now confined to pastures, paddocks, box stalls and even standing stalls over extended periods of time and it is not being allowed to forage for its feed. Most horses are fed hay, cubed feed and pellets, which leaves the incisors unused and free to expose themselves at approximately 3mm per year. Feeding kernel grains such as corn and whole oats causes drastic over-wear of the molars. With the lack of use of the incisors and the overworking of the molars, an imbalance has been created in the oral cavity. Painful changes to the TMJ (temporo madibular joint) and anomalies such as hooks, ramps and chisels are the result of this imbalance. This problem can manifest with time unless either a different feeding program is used or dental maintenance procedures are initiated. Knowing that these problems do exist and chronic situations can be prevented with regular dental care, i believe that all domesticated horses have earned the right for an inspection to make sure their mouths function properly. Regular dental care is a necessity for their longevity, health and performance.

Why treat

Through evolution the horse roamed freely having to forage for its food for up to 18 hours per day, due to having a relatively small stomach compared to its body size. Also the nutritional value of the hard grass was low compared to the cultivated pastures of today and that made it necessary for the horses to feed for so many hours in the day. When foraging they would also pick up dirt and grit, eat roots and bark which all resulted in their teeth being abraded naturally (including the front teeth!) and sharp edges being dulled. Nature counters this abrasion by exposing more of the horse’s teeth at a rate of ca. 3mm per year and jaw.

Domestication of the horse has created many environmental changes. It is now confined to pastures, paddocks, box stalls and even standing stalls over extended periods of time and it is not being allowed to forage for its feed. Most horses are fed hay, cubed feed and pellets, which leaves the incisors unused and free to expose themselves at approximately 3mm per year. Feeding kernel grains such as corn and whole oats causes drastic over-wear of the molars. With the lack of use of the incisors and the overworking of the molars, an imbalance has been created in the oral cavity. Painful changes to the TMJ (temporo madibular joint) and anomalies such as hooks, ramps and chisels are the result of this imbalance.

This problem can manifest with time unless either a different feeding program is used or dental maintenance procedures are initiated.

Knowing that these problems do exist and chronic situations can be prevented with regular dental care, i believe that all domesticated horses have earned the right for an inspection to make sure their mouths function properly. Regular dental care is a necessity for their longevity, health and performance.

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