Horses' teeth have an open root, meaning they grow continuously and rely on chewing to stay the correct length. In a perfect world, the percentage of wear would be offset by that of growth, and the main teeth, the molars, would all wear out equally, thus consistently representing the ideal surface for chewing. The upper molars, on the other hand, are wider than the lower ones, and horses chew in a circular fashion. This means that, over time, if the horse has an irregular bite, unequal points could form on the teeth due to uneven wear. These spikes can slip into the horse's cheeks or tongue, causing pain when chewing. Leveling is the process in which the horse's teeth are “leveled” or filed with a dental file designed specifically for horses. Knowing when to level your horse's teeth can be very helpful in avoiding pain and discomfort.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Notice the Primary Signs
Step 1. Notice if the horse has difficulty eating
The tooth spikes in the horse's mouth could hurt the walls of his mouth (cheeks) or tongue and cause pain, a sign that the horse's teeth should be level.
- The horse may exhibit signs of discomfort when eating.
- It may take the horse longer to eat and tilt its head while feeding.
- Note that these signs may manifest themselves in different ways.
Step 2. If the horse starts eating disordered, he may suffer from pain in his mouth
The horse may eat poorly, drooling and letting food slip out of its mouth.
- Some horses will need to keep their heads to the side when chewing, thus causing heavy salivation. If so, your horse will always have a wet chin. The horse tends to drool because swallowing requires a movement of the tongue which can be very painful, due to the irregular points. Instead of swallowing, therefore, he will end up drooling.
- Sometimes the saliva will be stained with blood due to the wounds present in the mucous membranes of the mouth walls.
Step 3. Look for signs of choking, which is often caused by dry lumps of food
Pain in the mouth makes the horse more reluctant to chew and makes it more prone to swallow food that is not chopped or mixed with little saliva. These dry food balls can get stuck in the esophagus (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach) and cause the horse to choke. Among the signs of this problem it is possible to see a protuberance visible on the left side of the neck, in line with the esophagus, which moves from the corners of the jaw to the line of the shoulders.
- In horses this problem is not as serious as in humans, as the trachea is not blocked and the horse can still breathe. However, food blockage can increase, causing the horse to cough, in addition to discomfort and pain.
- If it is blocked by a lump of hay, the saliva cannot move when the horse swallows: for this reason the animal will tend to drool.
Step 4. Notice if the horse has swollen cheeks
It is a sign that it tends not to swallow large amounts of grass or hay. The horse tends to accumulate balls of hay or grass between the teeth and cheeks to form a protective cushion or barrier. These pads line the cheeks while the animal chews and reduce pain.
- You can notice their presence if the horse has puffy cheeks, just like a hamster.
- The horse will also tend to spit these balls onto the floor, another sign that his teeth need to be leveled.
Step 5. Try to notice if the horse avoids the bit
A dry-mouthed horse will likely not feel comfortable wearing the bit. When the bit comes into contact with the dry mouth, the horse tries to protect itself by sliding it to a different place, where it hurts less. So try to avoid the bite and shake your head or bend your neck to let it slide out.
A generally quiet, well-behaved horse might turn into an animal that shakes its head when ridden or tries to avoid wearing the bit by bending its neck excessively
Method 2 of 3: Notice the Secondary Signs
Step 1. Weigh the horse to see if it has lost weight
A horse in need of care may lose weight. The horse therefore prefers to eat food that requires less chewing.
- Another reason the horse may lose weight is that it does not chew its food thoroughly. Chewing helps break down cells and fibers, making digestion easier and allowing you to get the most out of your nutritional values.
- Pay attention to whether the horse looks very thin or emaciated. If the horse has a lot of mouth pain, he may eat only as little as possible, even preferring to starve rather than get sick.
- The horse may be more sleepy than usual due to a lack of energy.
Step 2. Look for signs of indigestion and colic
The food balls could also reach the stomach but, failing to be processed by the intestine, they can cause indigestion or colic. Symptoms include abdominal discomfort, which may manifest as restlessness, continual swinging of the head towards the hips, stomach kicks, rapid and light breathing, general restlessness, wide eyes and dilated nostrils.
Step 3. Look for signs of whole pieces of food in the horse's droppings
Since the tooth tips are painful and cause less thorough chewing, the horse will tend to swallow whole pieces of food. In poorly chewed food it will be possible to find large pieces of hay and whole pieces of wheat, which the intestine is unable to break down and digest completely. For this reason, the horse's feces will contain whole pieces of cereal or grain and fragments of undigested hay.
Step 4. Smell the horse's breath to see if it has gotten worse
If your horse suffers from dental spikes, food is more likely to get trapped in the mouth, thus becoming rancid and starting to smell.
Sores or mouth ulcers could become infected and cause bad breath (halitosis)
Method 3 of 3: Directly Examine the Teeth
Step 1. Gags the horse to make sure that the mouth remains open during the exam
Direct examination of the teeth requires placing a special gag in the horse's mouth, so that it remains semi-open. This step will prevent the horse from chewing the speculum once introduced and will allow the entire surface of the teeth to be examined.
Step 2. Examine problem teeth with a speculum to confirm the diagnosis
Problem teeth are the molars, which are located at the bottom of the mouth. These teeth are too far away to be seen without the help of a special speculum. It is not a painful process and is tolerated by most horses.
- The oral speculum is an instrument similar to a torch, with a flat blade and rounded edges, which can be inserted into the animal's mouth to examine its teeth.
- A veterinarian or equine dental technician will have access to such an instrument.
- If the horse has a tendency to move its head a lot, it may be advisable to use a support, tying the main rope so that the head is locked in a slightly raised position, thus blocking the movement and allowing you to calmly inspect the mouth of the horse. animal.
Step 3. Inspect the horse's mouth regularly for symptoms
Even if you do not notice any signs of distress, an annual check-up is advisable for horses between 5 and 20 years of age.
- Under the age of 5 the horse is in full growth: more frequent checks are therefore necessary to ensure that the teeth are formed in the right way and that the dental arches are aligned.
- Likewise, after 20 years of age the horse is more likely to develop dental problems, such as fragmented crowns or root infections. It is advisable to carry out two checks a year.
