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Additionally, the horse's teeth should be checked if it is having major performance problems or showing any of the above signs of a dental problem. Many horses require floating (or rasping) of teeth once every 12 months, although this, too, is variable and dependent on the individual horse.
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.
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]
The cause of wry nose in horses is unknown; it may have a genetic cause, or be due to malpositioning in the uterus. [1] A wry nose may cause difficulty during foaling (dystocia). [3] A foal with wry nose may have poor alignment (malocclusion) of the teeth, [2] although foals can usually still nurse and in most cases are bright and active. [4]
According to David Mellor and Ngaio Beausoleil, "most horses show clear behavioral signs of aversion to a bit in the mouth, ranging from mild irritation to intense pain". [44] These signals include the horse's resistance to being bridled and accepting the bit, mouth opening, teeth grinding, very profuse salivation and tongue movements. [45]
Lignophagia in horses can be a cause of colic due to the ingestion of wood splinters, [3] and in severe cases, can cause excessive wearing and deterioration of the teeth. [4] A related vice is cribbing , wherein the horse grabs a wood board and sucks in air; not all wood-chewing is cribbing and though cribbing may also result in chewing on the ...
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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 ...