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Float
a Horse's Teeth -- What Does that Mean
and Why is it N |
by:
Randall
Holman |
So what
does it mean to float a horse's teeth?
I'm sure you've heard this a time or two
(if you haven't, sooner or later you will
from another horse owner or from your vet),
and if you're like me, you imagined for
the longest time what this could possibly
mean and wondered what it involved.
To float a horse's teeth certainly sounds
funny, too.
Floating means to smooth or
contour your horse's teeth with a file (called
a "float"). Unlike your own teeth, your
horse's teeth keep growing. At times, your
horse's teeth may develop sharp edges, making
it difficult for her to chew food, hold
a bit, or simply have pain and discomfort
inside her mouth.
An adult horse may have between 36-44 permanent
teeth. And just like humans, your horse
gets two sets of teeth in her lifetime.
Your horse starts out with temporary baby
teeth and by age five, will most likely
have her full set of permanent teeth.
The horse's front teeth cut hay and grass,
while the top and bottom cheek teeth grind
the forage between the flat surfaces in
a sideways motion. This grinding action
breaks down the food into a pulp before
swallowing which helps it to be digested
better. If your horse is unable to grind
down food all the way due to uneven teeth
surfaces, the unchewed food will not be
digested as well.
Most often, points develop on the upper
cheek teeth toward the outside of the mouth
next to your horse's cheek. And on the bottom
cheek teeth toward the inside of the mouth
next to your horse's tongue. These points
can then cut into the cheek and tongue making
your horse uncomfortable.
Though it may seem tedious and like a burden,
you know having routine dentist check-ups
contribute to the overall good health of
your own teeth. Well, your horse is no different
and deserves some of the same attention
to her teeth as you give to yours. Confined
horses or those that do not have the ability
to graze all day are more prone to teeth
overgrowth, as they are not naturally grinding
their teeth all day to keep them smooth.
Also, just like you, your horse can have
other dental problems. A horse can have
excessively worn teeth, loose or broken
teeth, or infected gums.
One sign that your horse's teeth may need
to be floated is if she is consistently
dropping food from her mouth and you start
seeing signs of weight loss. Your horse
may also exhibit behavior like head-tossing
or opening her mouth frequently.
Possible horse dental problem indicators:
- Drops food from her mouth
- Exhibits difficulty in chewing
- Excessive salivation
- Loss of weight
- Undigested food particles in manure
- Head-tossing
- Excessive bit chewing
- Resisting having the bridle put on
- Difficult handling while riding
- Mouth odor
- Blood in the mouth
- Face swelling
- Nasal discharge
Because horses are adaptable creatures,
even if they are having discomfort, some
do not show any signs of dental problems.
So don't assume that if there are no symptoms,
there are no problems.
Sharp teeth edges can hurt the inside of
your horse's mouth causing pain and creating
sores on her tongue or cheeks. Your horse
may show resistance when riding due to added
pain from the bit pressing against the sores.
The vet or equine dentist will carefully
file all your horse's teeth that need smoothing
to achieve a flat grinding surface between
the upper and lower teeth. Having your horse's
teeth floated is well worth it so she digests
her food better, is in better spirits, and
makes riding more enjoyable for you both.
How often floating is necessary varies quite
a bit from one horse to another. Some horses
seem to have slower-growing teeth and may
require floating only once every several
years while others may require floating
every few months. Even if your horse does
not require her teeth to be floated often,
it is still a good idea to have her teeth
and gums examined once a year.
The procedure the vet typically uses to
float your horse's teeth is to first sedate
your horse to make her relaxed. A special
halter is put on with a rope thrown over
a ceiling rafter or the equivalent in order
to hold your horse's head up. A mouth speculum
is used to keep your horse's mouth open.
The vet will then either manually file your
horse's teeth using a rasp in a back and
forth motion to flatten the high points,
or may use a power tool. The whole procedure
is quick and painless - taking about 15
to 20 minutes to complete.
If you're like me, you cringe at the thought
of someone filing away on your teeth with
a rasp. You can imagine the shooting pain
from the nerves in your teeth. Personally,
the dentist can't give me enough Novocain
to make me feel comfortable before poking
around or drilling in my mouth.
Unlike us, a horse's nerves end close to
the gumline, so there is no nerve where
the tooth is being worked on, and therefore
does not feel any nerve pain. We humans
should be so lucky.
About the Author
Randall Holman, site owner of Front Range
Frenzy and horse enthusiast, is the author
of the above article. You will find other
easy and practical basic horse care information
on his website: http://www.FrontRangeFrenzy.com
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