Your horse may not tell you if there is a problem in their mouth. Some will show no problems eating and be perfectly behaved whilst ridden despite being in pain, so routine dental examination is essential for the welfare of all our equines.
Horses’ teeth erupt continually throughout their lives and are worn down by grinding coarse vegetation as they eat. We recommend that every horse has annual dental treatment, to check for any sharp points that have not been ground down properly and can cause ulceration in the mouth, as well as any other abnormalities. Some horses with dental abnormalities may require treatment more frequently. A good time to do this is at the same time as an annual flu/tetanus booster, when all aspects of your horse’s health can be discussed.
A complete modern equine dental examination requires careful visual assessment of the teeth, and may involve a variety of instruments being used. The modern, motorised equipment which we use is battery powered and quiet. Some horses tolerate this very well, but others do not. We may, therefore, recommend that your horse is sedated for dental treatment. This increases safety, makes it a more pleasant experience for your horse, and enables the vet to do a more thorough job.
Here at Hutton Equine we are well equipped with modern equine dentistry equipment. If there are five or more horses having dental treatment by us on a yard at the same time we will waive our visit charge.
