Horses teeth?

can not having your horses teeth done make them go funny?

Horses teeth?
It won't make them go funny in the head, however, not floating your horses teeth every year or so can make it uncomfortable form them to eat or hold the bit in their mouth. A horse's top jaw is wider than the bottom jaw and when they chew, they grind their food with the back molars. This results in wear and tear on the teeth and over time creates some sharp edges that can stab the sides of the mouth or the gums, making in painful to chew or be ridden. If your horse is acting up while you are riding him, seems more sensitive about his mouth, spilling alot of grain while eating or dunking his hay in water, he needs to have his teeth checked and probably floated. What you could be mistaking as "going funny in the head" could actually be a reaction to pain in his mouth from the bit. I would get it looked at just to be safe. Also, if your horse has not yet had his wolf teeth removed, be sure to do that as they interfere with the place where the bit sits in the mouth and causes alot of discomfort to the horse while being ridden.
Reply:What? I don't know what you mean.
Reply:well funny is a way to put it. horses can having teething problem just like any person.


Say for instance their canines where infected or causing pain, then it will surely make them moody. If you put a bit in that mouth to ride the horse then you are going to be faced with a whole lot of new problems. Things such as rearing, playing of the head and pure moodiness,


it is wise to have your horses teeth checked on a regular basis.
Reply:Not floating their teeth will eventually cause points to appear on the teeth. Points are sharp projections at the end of the teeth that don't get worn down by the other teeth during chewing because of the way a horse chews.





They move their jaw from side to side when they chew, but the outsides of the upper teeth, and the insides of the lower teeth do not make contact with the opposite level, so these areas do not get naturally honed down.





These points will cause the horse to cut their cheeks and tongue, and if points develop at the front of teeth that the bit sits next to, they will bumb against the bit and cause pain. Stallions left unfloated will get what's called a 7-year hook. By the time they are 7 years old, the point at the front of these teeth has gotten so large it looks like a sharp hook hanging down, and it cuts the tongue and hits the bit, creating pain.


Any horse can get these hooks, they just get more prominent in stallions.





Not floating teeth will not only cause the mouth sores and pain from them, but it will cause the horse to drop it's feed because it hurts to chew, and the horse can and will lose weight because of not eating correctly. While riding, these teeth will get aggrevated by the bit and slice into the tongue and cause terrible pain, resulting in the horse being reluctant to be bitted up or ridden, and can result in bad behaviours like head tossing.
Reply:well first if you dont get your horses teeth floated regulary it not only make them go crazy, it can make them starve, because if they have a hooked tooth that needs filing, they wont eat
Reply:Bottom line - get your horses teeth checked regardless of how they are acting. As an owner you owe it to them as part of their health care. It will keep the healthy and pain free and it will prevent future problems if you get them checked BEFORE signs of problems. Don't wait till they are hurting and losing weight.





I would go funny if I couldn't eat or if there were hooks on my teeth cutting my tongue and cheeks. I would go completely bonkers if someone put a metal bit in my mouth with those problems!





All horse owners should take their horse to the vet almost yearly for checkups. That's just my 2 cents!!





EDIT: A poster above said in the wild they didn't get their teeth floated which is true but on another note they also did not live as long in the wild due to problems like these. They also grazed 24/7 which keeps the teeth ground down and level. If you want a happy healthy horse for years to come take them to the vet and get him/her checked out.
Reply:yeah it sure can because they get sharp points on the insides and outside of the teeth and those shrap points cut the cheeks and tounge and are very painful sores that won't heal until the sharp points are removed... it's almost like biteing your tongue every time you eat or talk.. over and over again.... it most certainly hurts a lot and makes it hard to eat and acept the bit horses with horrible teeth will stop chewing food and just swallow it which leads to choking and colic! it's just plain cruel to not get your horses teeth floated!
Reply:If you don't have your horse's teeth rasped on a regular basis (yearly or 6 monthly when they're young) sharp edges can cause extreme pain, especially when there's a bit pressing on the cheeks! Horse's respond to pain in different ways, and none of them good. Bad habits can be picked up such as head shaking and bolting when pressure is applied to the bit.


Even if your horse is not ridden (or ridden in a bit) then you should have your horse's teeth rasped because sharp or uneven teeth can stop a horse eating properly.


I bought a horse that was 3 years old recently. He had never had his teeth rasped and was skin and bones. The dental technician came to rasp his teeth and within a week my horse had put on more weight than he had in 3 months and he now better accepts the bit.
Reply:A comment in reference to a person above: Personally I ask my vet about my horses teeth not my farrier. I love my farrier and he is extremely knowledgeable but I prefer my vet to give me medical advice.





Not having your horses teeth floated can cause damage as most everyone above said but only your vet can tell you how often your horse should have it done. One of the horses at my barn has to get his done every six to eight months because of his bite but most of the others, including mine, are on an annual schedule.
Reply:never heard it
Reply:The teeth will develop sharp spurs and cut into his gums and the discomfort will cause him or her to eat less and do serious dammage to there health ( recomend once a year at least ) Stumpy.....
Reply:Like you if you didn't have your teeth checked when they hurt wouldn't it make you a little cranky; the same with a horse or you could also be using the wrong bit for your horse that makes him or her uncomfortable.
Reply:by not floating ur horses teeth its not like ur hurting them. but if they hold there head funnt when they eat, u might wanna get it done. horses in the wild dont get floated, so why should yours? ive had horses for like.. well sine i was 5. an i only had mine done once because he was tilting his head when he ate his grain becaus a tooth was pookin his gums.. so dont worry about it unless ur farrier recommends it