Find how often your horse’s teeth should be checked and how to tell if a horse has dental problems in our guide to teeth.
Heavenly Pastures Horse Cremations Guide to Teeth
A horse’s teeth work hard. They have to break down grass and hay to 3mm before it can enter the stomach, so their teeth wear continually. They have adapted to this by keeping a reserve of tooth below the gum line. This constantly grows over the horse’s life.
Domestication and the type of land on which we keep horses means that their teeth now don’t always wear down evenly. Good pasture means that horses do not have to graze for as long nor work so hard when chewing. Riding horses also puts pressure around the mouth which can exacerbate dental problems unless a horse’s teeth are checked regularly.
What are the main signs of dental problems in horses?
A horse with dental pain may show one or more of the following signs:
- Quidding – dropping or spitting out chewed food
- Weight loss
- Bad breath
- Reluctance to being touched around the head area
- Swellings of the face
- Nasal discharge – often yellow coloured and only on one side
What are the most common equine dental problems?
Equine teeth continually grow. This process replaces the tooth surface that is worn down through chewing. When this system is not working well, disorders of wear arise, including:
- Sharp enamel points
- Overgrowths
- Waves and steps
- Displaced teeth
Regular routine dental checkups allow problems to be corrected before they become a major issue.
Heavenly Pastures Horse Cremations
Heavenly Pastures Horse Cremations are here to help you with a collection and cremation services for horses – we cover the counties of Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire within a two to three hour drive, as well as offering a nationwide horse collection and cremation service. We give you the opportunity to grieve as our equine end of life service takes care of practical arrangements for you. For more help or advice contact us on one of the following:-
Leyland Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
Warrington Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
Southport Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
Wigan Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
St Helens Horse Cremations 01704 776 976
