Its almost impossible to know whats going on in your horses mouth without the help of an equine dental technician or vet..but it is very important that we do know..for the horse well being if nothing else. Horses teeth erupt constantly throughout their lives at a rate of around 2/3 mm per year. They will continue to erupt until the age of 18/20 yrs when the process slows or eventually stops altogether. Horses teeth act as a sharpening mechanism allowing them to break food down for efficient digestion, but for this system to work effectively, the rate of eruption should be equal to the rate of wear. In a natural environment (out in the wild on course grass) this can take place quite efficiently, however because of the way we keep our horses, this is no longer the case. For example, grass in the wild is far more abrasive than the farmed pasture they enjoy today, making it much more difficult for our domesticated horses to wear their teeth down as they would in the wild. A combination of soft grass, Soft hay, Easily broken down hard feed, coupled with the fact we use bits in our horses mouths has resulted in the need for regular dental check ups by an Equine Dental Technician or Vet. It is recommended that a horse in regular work is checked over every six months and a horse that is out at grass, every twelve months. Owners should always be aware of warning signs or behavioural changes that may point towards something being wrong within their mouths..... happy mouth..happy horse :) x
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 00:10:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015