Big South Fork Tennessee is horse country but there's more to it than just saddling up and riding off down the trail. Just as you have a semi-annual checkup and cleaning at the dentist, horses also require regular dental care….but their dentists make house calls!
Horses masticate their food by grinding grain from side to side, which causes a ridge to form on the outside of their teeth. These sharp points are removed by filing with a rasp; the process is known as "floating" and the rasp itself is called a "float."
A horse's bit does not rest on his teeth but rather sits on the bars of his jaw, that is, on the space between his incisors and his molars. The bit must be comfortable for the horse; if it causes him pain, he will toss his head or he may refuse to let the rider put his bridle on or indicate that he does not want to be handled about the face.
Some horses develop "hooks" on the front or back surfaces of the tooth which will cut into the sensitive tissue on the inside of his cheeks. If the hooks are too long to be filed down with the float, they may have to be nipped off with a special tool. If a horse is missing a tooth, the opposing tooth will erupt into the space where the missing one should be, causing some problems. Some horses will also have wolf teeth. These are small premolars which appear on the upper jaw above and usually slightly ahead of the molars. These teeth are particularly troublesome as they are not set in the jawbone and the presence of a bit pressing against them can cause significant discomfort. Additionally, young horses will often experience discomfort when shedding their deciduous or "baby" teeth.
Horses with dental problems become harder to keep for no apparent reason; they may become thin no matter how their feed is increased. They may salivate excessively when eating, or eat slowly and with effort or they may continuously drop bits of half chewed food. The presence of undigested grain in their manure is also an indication that they may be having problems chewing. properly.
An appointment for dental care should be scheduled at least annually and many horse owners arrange for their large-animal veterinarian to float teeth as a matter of routine, along with regularly scheduled vaccinations. Some vets or equine dentists use a mouth speculum, a halter with a special mouthpiece that holds the horses jaw open (pictured), to provide easy access and eliminate the possibility of being bitten by their patient!
When you live in a horse community and are an active rider, when you and your horse have a busy social life, it is important to make sure that your equine companion has the care he needs to keep him safe and healthy. That includes regular worming, keeping his hooves trimmed, a schedule of annual or semi-annual shots and routine dentistry.
For information about Big South Fork real estate or horse properties in Jamestown, Tennessee, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com
There's also a lot of information about the area on Tennessee Recreational Properties' website.
Comments(6)