As professional equine dentists, Pimbury Equine are here to provide you with the best knowledge and advice to ensure that your horse(s) teeth are looked after as best as possible.
What are horse’s teeth made from?
The horse’s teeth are made of three calcified tissues Cementum, Dentine, and enamel. These tissues wear at different rates during the chewing cycle. Abnormal wear can lead to the development of overgrowths affecting the regular movement of the jaw. These issues are unable to resolve without intervention and correction.
How often should horses have their teeth checked?
The teeth are vital to the first step of the digestion process. The teeth have a complex surface that aids the breakdown of the cellulose walls within forage. Without an efficient mechanical/chewing stage the microbes within the gut are unable to breakdown the feed. As a result, it is essential that your horse has their teeth checked at least once a year to facilitate this process.
Should horses visit an equine dentist more than once a year?
The regularity of visits will be subject to many factors such as age, breed, and conformation. Therefore, it is essential that you are following the recommended treatment plan created for your horse by your Equine Dental Technician. This can mean two dentistry checks per year!
Is Winter a good time to have my horse’s teeth checked?
Most horse owners only deem it necessary to have their horses teeth checked in the Spring/Summer months. This is due to most competition seasons beginning, an increased performance demand, an increased risk of bit damage on sharp teeth and an increased nutritional demand
However, more emphasis should be made to ensure that your horse’s teeth have been checked in the Autumn/Winter too. During these months there are a lot of changes for your horse in terms of its husbandry and dietary requirements.
At pasture your horse will graze for around 16-18 hours per day. During the winter months this grazing is limited as they are stabled more/longer. Less grass is produced in their fields so access to feed is also reduced. As a result, the time taken to chew is reduced significantly and the teeth do not naturally wear.
Do I need to change my horse’s diet?
You substitute grass for hay, haylage and concentrated feeds to artificially meet your horses nutritional requirements. Soft forage feeds such as grass and hay require more lateral movement of the jaw due to the grinding technique required. However, concentrated feeds require a vertical crushing type movement. Horses fed on high concentrates have a reduced chewing time, reducing the wear of the teeth and predisposing your horse to dental abnormalities.
Hay and haylage is dryer than grass and longer in length – making it less palatable for your horse. In response, your horse must complete more chewing cycles to break down the cellulose walls. This isn’t the problem! The problem arises when your horse has sharp teeth or overgrowths, and the process becomes painful or difficult. Horses will often quid or drop feed in this instance, unable to meet their nutritional requirements and any other issues that follow.
Book an equine dentistry appointment
It is essential that your horse has had its teeth checked by a qualified Equine dental technician in the winter months to ensure that they are comfortable.
It is vital that your horse is free from any pain and discomfort so that they can utilise their jaws and teeth efficiently. A sound mouth will ensure that your horse is able to eat efficiently to meet its nutritional requirements and avoid any knock-on effects. Therefore, at Pimbury Equine we recommend bi annual visits to ensure that your horse has a sound mouth all year round.
Book your appointment with us today!
