Proper dental care is essential to your horse’s health. Your horse will be more comfortable, utilize feed more efficiently, perform better, and may even live longer.

Horses teeth do not in fact grow continuously, they erupt continuously meaning the tooth gets shorter and shorter as it is pushed through the gum tissue. In the wild horses eat very hard and dry foods such as woody plants and grass. This allows their teeth to wear down more evenly, and they often don’t live long enough to see malocclusions start to form. In captivity however horses are fed softer foods like fresh grass, hay and grain. This allows them to live longer but their teeth often don’t wear evenly. As horses are living longer it is becoming more common for a them to outlive their teeth. It is our job as equine dental technicians to float the teeth to ensure that they stay healthy, free of malocclusions, and last longer.

Floating means to level, smooth, or make even

Malocclusions are the improper position and contact between teeth, and can lead to inefficient chewing, bit discomfort, excessive wear, and premature loss of teeth. Many horses will not show symptoms of dental problems until it is too late. Complete oral exams every 6 months to one year and regular preventative dental care allow horses to live healthier and perform better.

After attending a 1 month long training program, I did my first horses outside of school alongside the veterinarian I work with. There were 2 mini horses, 11 and 13 years old, and a 6 year old quarter horse. The two minis were long overdue for dental work as they both had several malocclusions, or the improper position and contact between teeth, affecting the way their mouth moves. These two minis were being ridden by kids so it is especially important that they are comfortable in their mouth so they don’t possibly act out in pain while being ridden. After fixing them up they will be chewing more efficiently and be more comfortable in their mouth. The larger quarter horse was also being ridden and in need of dental work, although it was apparent he had been done in the past. He had overlong incisors, and sharp points that could cause problems in the future, so I took care of those as preventative maintenance for this young horse. These horses can now be on a yearly schedule for preventative dental care to keep them happy and healthy.