No Teeth, No Horse

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Good dental care is essential for a horse's well being.
Horses with poor teeth soon suffer from a host of other problems, as is sadly illustrated by two cases recently dealt with by the ILPH. Jeffrey, a former Pony Club event pony, was diagnosed as suffering from malnutrition, brought on by his being unable to chew food because of his poor teeth. Gambit wasn't so lucky: he had to be put down when it was discovered that he had been starving to death, unable to eat, over a period of some months.

Checklist to Ensure Good Tooth Care

• Get a vet or qualified equine dentist, who has been referred by a vet, to check your horse's teeth at least once a year.
• With horses aged 16 plus increase the checks to twice a year.
• Once a tooth is lost the corresponding tooth on the opposite jaw must be rasped regularly.
• Horses teeth wear down with age. Wear must be kept even with regular rasping to ensure efficient feeding.
• Carry out regular checks for tartar, abscesses and gum disease.
• A healthy diet for your horse will help keep his teeth strong.

Cox the Saddler would like to thank the ILPH for this article.
The ILPH are available at www.ilph.org

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