Why Treatment?:
 The lives of three quarters of a billion people around
the world depend on horses, mules and donkeys. Of 122 million Equidae
in the world 100 million are working horses, mules, and donkeys. The
future of horse and man are inextricably linked therefore developing a
proper maintenance program is important to this horse and man
relationship. How does equine dental fit into this regular maintenance
program or does it?
Dental problems DO affect the disposition in
horses! Remember the last time you had a tooth ache and had to
identify which tooth was giving you problems to your dentist?
Identifying dental problems in a horse is no easy task and nearly
impossible for the novice. It takes a lot of training and experience to
ascertain the most difficult dental problems in the horse.
Annual maintenance makes for better conditioning.
Over the years I’ve found that the average horse needs annual dental
maintenance. A fat horse can also have bad teeth, condition is not
necessarily an indicator of dental problems or pain. When considering
the condition of your horses mouth it is important first to define the
desired equine performance then balance and maintain the mouth
accordingly. I have also found remarkable changes in conditioning of an
animal when afforded consistent dental maintenance. In most cases a
regular dental maintenance program finds better conditioning that
provides less effort and less feed, most often the price of the dental
work is less than the savings in feed in a years time.
Dental out-of-sight out-of-mind. In years past,
little interest has been taken in the condition of equine dental for it
is out of sight, therefore out of mind. However, poor dental
conditioning can cause an enormous amount of pain. Therefore, pain is
reflected in poor temperament; poor temperament is reflected in unhappy
horse owners and unhappy horse owners misunderstand and sometimes
mistreat unhappy horses and so it goes.
Horses are all different. One of the first
things I think we should remember about horses is that they all have
different temperaments and are sensitive to different degrees of stress
and pain. Horses come in a variety of sizes with no two being exactly
alike. Therefore it stands to reason that all mouths are different,
even though the function of each mouth is the same. Horses tend to
react generally in the same manner. Horses would rather run than
face a painful situation. A horse moves away from pain. It is the
tendency of the horse, when feeling pain in his mouth to move ahead. He
learns to slow down or stop to get relief. In effect he is backing away
from pain.
What happens to the running horse experiencing pain in
his mouth? They usually slow down. Therefore it stands to reason that
if we remove the irritation or pain from the race horses mouth we can
increase the speed of the horse. All running horses under tack use
their mouth for balance and the jockey uses the irons and reins, for
balance. To maintain this balance for any length of time the horse has
to have a comfortable mouth. To achieve this we have to remove all
obstacles of pain and irritation.
Three basic ways to remove pain. There are three
basic ways we can remove the irritation or pain from a horses mouth.
First, provide the horse with comfortable tack (ie. head stall,
cavesons, nose bands); second, allow for comfortable bitting procedures
(including styles, shapes and sizes of bits); and finally create a
comfortable mouth (cheeks, teeth, gums, bars and tongue free from
pain). A horse with a properly maintained mouth, proper tack and a
correct bit will be able to function at his best.
The other day a prominent horse owner called and asked
if I would check the teeth on a two year old filly he was racing. Her
trainer said she was stopping when the jockey would take hold of her or
try to maneuver her into a better position during the race. After
examining the two year old, I found a number of areas of pain in her
mouth. She had retained many caps (in the human mouth, caps would be
considered baby teeth) that were preventing her adult teeth from
erupting normally. I pulled three deciduous incisors and three caps
from the pre-molars (back teeth). The caps had very sharp buccal
(cheek) edges. All of the outer edges of the remaining upper arcades
(rows) and inner edges of the lower arcades were also very sharp. I
recommended no racing for the filly for a couple of weeks. This would
give her time to find out her mouth would no longer cause her pain.
Approximately two weeks later the trainer entered her at a nearby
track. The filly won breaking her maiden (winning her first race) that
paid $98 on a $2 ticket. Her next two outings went very well, she put
forth a fine effort both times and ran two second place finishes back
to back.
Wolf teeth can be rather troublesome. A horse
may have from one to ten wolf teeth. The upper wolf teeth set just
ahead of the first upper molars, so when using gags, snaffles, or over
check bits they can be particularly bothersome. These bits pull the
cheeks directly up into the wolf teeth. Upper wolf teeth definitely
need to be removed any time the horse is being used with an over check,
gag or bit that rides high or works off the roof of the mouth. Lower
wolf teeth are directly in the path of the main bit and can lacerate
the tongue and cheek extensively. Lower wolf teeth are also
considerably more rare than upper wolf teeth. At times problems created
by wolf teeth are over rated, while at other times they are at the root
of the bitting problem. I elevate and remove all wolf teeth, just to
avoid a chance of a later problem. The tooth needs to erupt to the
point where there is enough to be pulled with forceps. Sometimes this
eruption process can take from six months to a year and other times the
wolf teeth may not come down but ossify to the bone.
Front hooks on the upper molars can be devastating
to the bitting process. The front hooks on the upper molars come
about when the leading edge of the upper molars are forward of and
misaligned with the lower molars. The front edges do not wear and
develop sharp points, interfering with comfortable bitting. Many times,
as the bit is exerting pressure on the cheek and tongue, they are
forced into these upper points causing severe pain. (I’ve removed front
hooks that were over one inch in length, they had worked through the
flesh, over the bars and into the jawbone.) Once hooks are removed,
most horses begin to perform well. The outer edges of the molars in the
upper arcades need to be well rounded to eliminate the chance of pain
or injury to the cheeks caused by pressure from the bit, rings or
caveson and nose band.
Problems may develop due to pain. One very
important thing to remember about the anatomy of the mouth is that the
upper molars are set wider and to the outside of the lower molars. This
means the snaffle bit is carried just below the upper molars; the bit
wraps the mouth and the large rings can create pressure on the cheeks,
which in turn can be irritated by sharp teeth. Further, the teeth can
be irritated during the cap shedding periods (between 2 ½ to 4
½ years of age). When caps are loosening they become very
sensitive to pressure. The animal will often back off feed and not
thoroughly masticate or grind their feed, due to the soreness caused by
the loose tooth. At times colic and intestinal blockages are caused
from poorly masticated food. Poor performance or even a debilitating
condition from lack of proper nutrient utilization can occur.
Extra skin may make a sensitive horse. Some
horses have pouchy cheeks and loose flesh over the bars that is very
tender and sensitive when it comes in contact with sharp teeth or harsh
bits. It is very difficult for these horses, or any horse for that
matter, to keep its mind on its work when in pain. A milder bit and a
proper floating job can often make the difference between an excellent
or poor performance. From time to time I have found horses with a roll
of skin on the bars of their mouth, just ahead of the lower molars.
When the rider exerts backward pressure on the bit, this fold or roll
is forced upwards between the teeth; a very painful state of affairs
for the horse. Horses with this problem are hard to deal with due to
the severe pain they are experiencing. A Sure-Win headstall can elevate
the bit in the mouth and a smaller mouth piece will help keep the bit
off the pouchy skin on the bars.
Proper equipment, bitting and dental care often can
make the difference between winners and losers. Remember, all mouths
are different; different sizes, sensitivity and shapes and that all
horses are cutting teeth for the first five years of their lives; their
mouths are continually changing.
Pain destroys calmness; sharp bits, poor shoeing
and ill-fitting equipment along with a painful mouth can cause pain. It
is difficult to find optimum performance from a horse if you can’t get
him into a comfortable state of mind. And in some cases, the fear of
anticipated pain will remain long after the painful areas are fixed.
So get rid of the pain early.
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