Your Horse's Mouth

The horse's mouth forms a very important part of the digestive system and also forms the vital link between the horse and it's rider. Proper dental care is essential to your horse's health.

Horses have between 36 and 42 teeth consisting of 12 incisors (front teeth) which are used for tearing feed off or grasping it; 24 back teeth (molars) which are used to finely grind the feed before it is swallowed; 4 canine teeth (commonly called bridle teeth) located between the incisors and the molars; and 2 wolf teeth which are positioned just in front of the upper molars.

Horses’ teeth require regular filing. Unlike our teeth, the horse's teeth continue to grow during most of its life. The upper molars are wider than the lower molars and because feed is much different today, the teeth wear differently and the outside edges of the upper molars and the inside edges of the lower molars get very sharp. These sharp edges need to be correctly filed to prevent damage to the cheeks and tongue. Additionally, where there is the common problem of abnormal wear this can be improved by regular filing.

In many cases you cannot tell whether your horse has dental problems. Gum disease, step mouth and wave mouth, for instance, are often present at a young age when there are few symptoms but become major agonising problems when the horse gets older. However, it will help if you routinely observe the horse when it is ridden and when it is eating. Look for: head shaking, head tossing, pulling to one side, hanging, being hard to turn, blood on the bit, spilling feed whilst eating, opening the mouth and at the same time "screwing" the jaws, excessive saliva production, bad appetite, bad smell from the mouth, colic, undigested feed in the manure, gagging and many other symptoms.

Some sorts of feed can be bad for the horse's mouth. Wild barleygrass seeds in the feed must be avoided at all times. These seeds can do quite a lot of damage to areas under the tongue and lips, as well as beside the upper molars. It is most important to avoid these grass seeds both in dry feed and in the paddock. Crushed oats has a furry coating underneath the husk and these "hairs" can cause ulcerations. Whole oats does not present this problem. It should not be necessary to crack or bruise oats as proper dental treatment will normally eliminate the problem of undigested oats in the manure.

Horses can sometimes get gum disease and they can lose their teeth, especially when they get older. One of the most common causes is the packing of feed between the teeth. A bad bite can cause such packing of feed which results in irritation and often disease of the gums. It is often followed by disease around the root of the tooth causing it to become loose. The horse will typically be prone to colic. Shortening of the roots, decay and tartar build-up are contributing factors to periodontal disease. Front teeth (incisors) often have feed lodged between them and this is worse if these teeth are not aligned properly.

Selecting the correct bit is essential. Keep in mind that the area between the incisors and the molars where the bit rests is very sensitive and the bit rests only on two very narrow edges of the jaw. A bit should be light, smooth and of correct width (size). It is important not to tighten the bridle too much nor have it adjusted too loosely; the bit must fit neatly in front of the first bottom molars. Do not use ring bits and long levered western bits as they will cause a whole range of other problems. Problems with bits can often be prevented by consulting your Veterinarian or Equine Dentist.

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