Horses that pull on the bit or through the bit haven’t been taught how to accept bit pressure and what to do with contact. There is also a good chance that their neck is being held uncomfortable tight. How do I stop my horse from grabbing bits? To help your Read more…
Horses that are pushy or barge when being handled are often tight in the neck and they may find it hard to stand since the neck is so important for balance. Tension in the shoulders and withers will create balance problems and is usually linked to the tension in the Read more…
There are two types of malocclusion in horses; parrot mouth (overbite) where the maxilla is longer than the mandible, and monkey mouth (undershot jaw). In a horse with monkey mouth, the upper jaw is shorter than the lower jaw. Both conditions are inherited, but parrot mouth is considerably more common. Read more…
Modern equine dentistry cannot be performed without adequate sedation, a full mouth speculum, a dental pick, a dental mirror, and a good light source to fully assess the mouth. Do horses have to be sedated to get their teeth floated? To do a good job, yes sedation is required. Anyone Read more…
The quivering lip is a sign that he’s comfortable and relaxed. It’s just the same as a human mouth falling open when they’re asleep. Why do horses flutter their lips? Some horses flap their lips loudly when they are nervous or anxious, or anticipating an undesirable event. Recognize that a Read more…
Salmonella can move between animals and humans. Thus, people can and do become infected with salmonella from horses. Ingesting contaminated feces causes salmonella in people. Can humans get Salmonella from animals? Salmonella infections are a zoonotic disease, meaning that the infection can spread between animals and people. Salmonella germs are Read more…
Here’s what to look out for: Fussing with the bit or head tossing. Horses with dental problems will find holding onto the bit uncomfortable, so firstly check whether it’s just discomfort caused solely by the bit that’s the issue. Quidding. Weight loss. Slow eating. Spooking. Spilling food. Halitosis. Drooling. How Read more…
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of the horse resides just below and in front of the base of the horse’s ear on either side of the head. Where is the TMJ muscle located? TMJ disorders affect the temporomandibular joint, located on each side of your head in front of your ears. Read more…
Signs of dental problems Resistance and evasion to the bit or bridle. Changes in behaviour for example the horse becomes aggressive due to being in pain. Change in behaviour when ridden for example head tilting, head tossing, mouth open, irregular head carriage. How do you know if your horse needs Read more…
The force of a horse bite can be up to 500 pounds per square inch (psi). Human biting force is about 200 psi, which means, horses can bite at a force 2 ½ times that. If your equine does not chop your finger off, it does not mean they have Read more…