Horse Teeth

A horses teeth grow continuously throughout its lifetime, and all horses have between thirty six and forty four teeth with twelve premolar and twelve molars, along with twelve incisors. Additionally horses may have four canine teeth between the molars and the incisors, which is usually in the male horse, although some females do have them as well. Some horses may also have wolf teeth, between one to four, but usually none. Like human beings, horses can develop problems in their teeth and are usually of the same variety, however because a horse uses their teeth more than we do (being that they eat food which is rougher on them, and to compensate the teeth never stop growing) it is important to have a horses mouth checked regularly for problems and issues.

Most dental issued involving the teeth of the horse come from normal wear and tear and wear patters (Areas that are used more than others) and can often be because of the feed. Since horse teeth are designed to continuously be used they grow at a consistent rate, however if they are fed softer foods their teeth may become too long, or parts of their teeth may become sharp because they are not worn down as much - this requires immediate action and dental care. Hooks are sharp points on their teeth, and usually develop on the outside of the teeth - but can be cured by dental care with filing or sometimes in extreme cases removal. Other problems are open sores, loose teeth, cracked teeth, infected teeth, or retained caps. if you notice any problems with chewing, weight loss, or anything else that may seem off (and especially if you see blood) contact your vet for an evaluation immediately. If it doesn’t go away in a day, then it is probably here to stay; unless you do something to fix it.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.