Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The problem with ramps is that they prevent the horse from freely chewing side-to-side. This causes improper and over wear of the molars. It will also, along with an underbite, cause severe discomfort when a bit is placed in the horses mouth. To solve the problem, the dominant tooth must be reduced to allow the opposing one to recover. [2]
Placing horses on pasture and the presence of companion animals may both help to reduce stable vices. Stable vices are stereotypies of equines, especially horses.They are usually undesirable habits that often develop as a result of being confined in a stable with boredom, hunger, isolation, excess energy, or insufficient exercise.
Therefore, horses with dental problems (e.g. acquired or congenital malocclusion, loose or missing teeth, or excessively sharp dental ridges) that do not allow them to completely grind their food are particularly at risk. [2] [3] In addition, horses that bolt their feed and do not take the time to chew properly are more likely to suffer from choke.
Horse teeth often wear in specific patterns, based on the way the horse eats its food, and these patterns are often used to conjecture on the age of the horse after it has developed a full mouth. As with aging through observing tooth eruption, this can be imprecise, and may be affected by diet, natural abnormalities, and vices such as cribbing .
Mouth pain caused by biting results from tissue compression, laceration or stretching, inflammation and impaired blood circulation. [17] The repeated rubbing or impact of the bit can cause bruises, cuts, tears and ulcers in the horse's mouth. [18] Swelling and bleeding bars can cause a horse to try to slide its tongue over the bit. [8]
Equine dentistry was practiced as long ago as 600 BCE in China, and has long been important as a method of assessing the age of a horse. [1] This was also practiced in ancient Greece, with many scholars making notes about equine dentistry, including Aristotle with an account of periodontal disease in horses in his History of Animals, and in Rome with Vegetius writing about equine dentistry in ...
The young horse can become enthralled by something as simple as blowing air or a pile of dirt (his favorite to roll around in), which keeps Molly Jo on her toes. Clearly, there's never a dull day ...
A horse's teeth grow continuously throughout its life and can develop uneven wear patterns. Most common are sharp edges on the sides of the molars which may cause problems when eating or being ridden. For this reason a horse or pony needs to have its teeth checked by a veterinarian or qualified equine dentist at least once a year.