Dentistry

Did you know that horse’s teeth are continuously erupting? The normal chewing of fibrous material helps the horse to wear their teeth down and maintain them, however because the cheek teeth of the upper jaw are larger and sit wider than those of the lower jaw, it is usual to develop sharp enamel points on the outside edges of the upper teeth and the inside edges of the lowers over time. It is these sharp points that require reducing at your routine dental appointment. If the horse has any malalignment or displacement of teeth this can lead to more specific overgrowths where opposing teeth are not lining up normally. These overgrowths also require reducing.

Horses are generally poor at demonstrating dental pain and so by the time we are seeing difficulty eating, quidding, head shaking or a reluctance to accept the bit, dental issues are often well established and fairly advanced. For this reason we recommend most horses have a routine dental examination carried out once a year. However we will always tailor treatment to each individuals needs and some horses with specific issues may need more frequent dental treatment than this.

All our vets are fully qualified and equipped to carry out safe and effective routine dentistry. They are also legally able to sedate your horse at the time, should this be required. Hermione also has further dental qualifications which enable her to offer more advanced dental services where indicated. Most routine dentistry and minor procedures can be carried out at your yard, but you can also bring your horse into our Holsworthy clinic for no additional cost and save yourself a visit fee at the same time!