Equine Dental Care
Healthy teeth.
Comfortable horses.
Better performance.
Your horse's teeth play an important role in their overall health, comfort and performance.
Horses' teeth are continually changing throughout their lives. As they graze and chew, teeth wear unevenly and can develop sharp edges, hooks, ramps and other abnormalities. These problems can make eating uncomfortable and, in ridden horses, may affect their willingness to accept the bit.
As with humans, regular dental checks help identify problems early. Often before there are obvious signs that something is wrong.
Why dental care matters
Dental problems aren't always easy to spot.
A horse with a dental issue may continue eating normally while gradually developing discomfort. Some horses show very subtle changes in behaviour or performance rather than obvious signs of pain.
Regular dental care can help:
- Maintain comfortable and effective chewing
- Identify sharp enamel points and abnormal wear
- Detect loose, damaged or diseased teeth
- Identify dental abnormalities before they become more serious
- Support comfortable eating and good condition
- Reduce discomfort associated with the bit and ridden work
Signs your horse may need a dental check
Keep an eye out for changes such as:
- Dropping partially chewed feed or hay
- Difficulty chewing
- Quidding
- Weight loss or difficulty maintaining condition
- Bad breath
- Excessive salivation
- Resistance to the bit
- Changes in ridden behaviour
- Chewing predominantly on one side
- Facial swelling or sensitivity around the mouth
- Undigested feed appearing in manure
Sometimes there are no obvious signs at all — which is why preventative dental examinations are important.
How often should teeth be checked?
There isn't one schedule that suits every horse.
Young horses, older horses and horses with existing dental abnormalities may need more frequent examinations. Horses in regular work or on higher-grain diets may also benefit from more frequent checks.
As a general guide, the Equine Dental Association of Australia recommends examinations from around two years of age, with intervals determined by age, diet, workload and the horse's individual dental needs.
Your horse's dental professional can recommend an appropriate schedule based on the individual horse.
It's not just about 'floating'
Dental care is more than simply filing sharp teeth.
A proper examination considers the horse's teeth, mouth and how the teeth are functioning together. Different horses can have very different dental needs, and excessive or inappropriate filing can itself cause problems.
Where more complex disease or treatment is identified, veterinary assessment may be required.
At SuJoHorses
We believe good horse care starts with looking at the whole horse.
Dental health is one part of keeping a horse comfortable, healthy and able to perform at their best. We work with qualified equine dental and veterinary professionals where appropriate, and believe in treating each horse as an individual rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.
Better movement. Better performance. Better horses.
Ready to book a dental check for your horse?
Get in touch