THE HORSE TEETH
The horse's teeth grow until about the sixth year of life. After that, the teeth wear out almost as much as they grow. It wears off through grinding chewing movements. The horse chews more on roughage and this promotes good and even wear of the molars. But concentrates hardly need chewing.
Maintenance of the horse's teeth has therefore become necessary now that the horse receives different food than it is naturally used to. And a small problem can have immediate consequences for food intake and digestion! Loss of condition, manure abnormalities and colic are just a few possible consequences. A dental problem can also lead to resistance while driving and even cause problems with the handrail.
With normal teeth, an annual check-up by a veterinarian or horse dentist is sufficient. He or she then files away any sharp edges and points on the molars and removes deciduous teeth and molars, the so-called caps, that have remained. The removal of annoying wolf teeth, tartar and the trimming of pointed sharp hook teeth are also part of the normal annual maintenance.
The vet or horse dentist can also over- or under-hooks and cut, chisel, mill or saw overgrown teeth or molars. If you have abnormal teeth, it is better to have them checked once every six months and pay attention, only the vet is allowed to anaesthetize!
