Understanding the Horse’s Teeth and Mouth

Over thousands of years the horse’s teeth have evolved to be hard-wearing and efficient in biting through plant material and grinding food to make it digestible.  However, man’s domestication of the horse has resulted in numerous potential problems in this area, with ill-fitting bits and inappropriate diet, as well as natural factors such as disease, parasites and old age all posing potential hazards.  Understanding the Horse’s Teeth and Mouth explains in accessible terms what equine dental care involves, why good dental care is important for the horse and how oral conditions can affect not only the way the horse eats, but also its health, behaviour and movement.

Topics covered include:

• Dental anatomy
• Bits and bitting.
• Rasping
• Pathologies and how to treat them.
• Nerve blocks and techniques for tooth extraction
• Procedures such as filling horses’ teeth.