Answer: Dental anomaly


Over time, as horses chew their food they develop points on their teeth that can be painful to them when they chew. The points on the lower arcade form on the lingual (tongue) side of the tooth while points on the upper arcade form on the buccal (cheek) side of the tooth. Over time a horse can develop what’s called a step mouth which is when adjacent teeth differ in height, or a wave mouth which is where teeth take on a wave or roller coaster appearance when viewed from the front. Horses that have severe hooks and points on their teeth cannot properly masticate (chew) their hay. In order for hay to be digested properly it needs to be crushed by the chewing action of the horse’s teeth. The normal microbial flora found in the horse’s GI track will then be able to help break down the hay into nutrients that will be absorbed by the horse’s body for use as energy. Proper dental care is essential for the healthy horse. Horses that cannot masticate their feed properly are predisposed to weight loss from a lack of nutrient availability and colic because of feed impaction from the horse’s inability to crush its hay. Proper dental care begins at birth. Your veterinarian should inspect the newborns mouth for any deformities. By the time a horse is old enough to get a bit placed in his mouth for the first time it should be inspected for points and wolf teeth (a residual upper first premolar). Your veterinarian will be able to grind off the points and pull the tiny unneeded wolf teeth.

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