Whats floating to do with horses teeth?

People get there horses teeth done and they say its floating what is it.

Whats floating to do with horses teeth?
Hey PonyPal!





Floating, as mentioned, is the process of smoothing the sharp points off a horse's teeth. Simple enough answer, except, like you asked, what has it to do with floating? =-)





It's called Floating because the type of tool used is a flat rasp called a float! The float and the rasp (which is pointy)are hundreds of years old, and originally were used in woodworking. The float was used to smooth a surface, almost like it was 'floating' over the surface.





Even today, tools take their name from this medieval tool! The big noisy chair thing that a guy rides in to smooth wet cement? A cement float! =-)





So, there you have it, =-)





Later,


C
Reply:Horses chew w/ a rotating motion. Moving only the bottom jaw. So eventually they get a angle on their teeth w/ sharp edges on the outside of the molars. You just file that down. Also they have caps on there teeth as they grow. You have to help those along sometimes by loosening them up, to get them off. Once you do all this the horse is more comfortable with the bit because he's not biting on the sides of his cheaks. They also need their wolf teeth removed, if they don't come out naturally.
Reply:"Floating" is just a fancy term for filing the sharp points off a horse's teeth. Horses' teeth continue to grow throughout the animals' lives, and as they grind and chew their coarse food, and wear down the teeth, these points, or "hooks" form and can become very sharp, making eating painful and difficult for them. Regular floating is very important!
Reply:Hi, horses' teeth grow continuously until some time between the ages of 25 and 30. Grass, their natural food, contains silica which is an abrasive and which constantly wears down the horse's teeth. The fibers of heavier grasses require a bit of grinding on the part of the horse. Additionally the horse reaches down to bite off grass and then raises his head to chew which changes his jaw position constantly. A horse living on natural grass will be more likely to naturally polish off the surfaces of his molars into a level. Thus the horse's dental apparatus is pretty well adapted to his natural diet.


In order to efficiently grind their food, horses' upper molars are spaced a little farther apart than their lower teeth. While important in the wild, this offset can produce problems in the domestic horse. Horses on alfalfa and less fibrous feeds tend to chew less and the material which they are eating is generally less abrasive. Accordingly there will be surfaces which do not get polished off evenly. Raised edges may appear along the edges of the molars; typically along the outside of the upper set and the inside of the lower set. When these "unground surfaces" get large the horse cannot rock his lower jaw laterally as he chews due to his teeth being locked between the opposing ridges. Thus the problem self propagates, the ridges slowly appear larger as they are no longer being worn down, and as the horse rubs these ridges when chewing, he's actually wearing down the sides of these ridges into sharp points.


These points can be quite razor-like, actually cutting deep into one's finger when rubbed across them while inspecting the mouth. These sharp points they often cut into the horse's cheeks when they chew and cause soreness where a bit or halter pushes the cheek against a sharp tooth. They can also cause slab fractures which are discussed later in this section.


In some cases a horse may have to chew unnaturally in an attempt to grind up his food. This action can often result in increased uneven wear on the teeth and in some cases generate significant excess pressure on one or more tooth which can result in serious complications including causing teeth to literally be worked loose.


In addition, the now restricted jaw movement can result in hooks being formed on the first molars on each side of the upper jaw. Because of the limitation of chewing movement caused by the ridges, the horse tends to rock his jaw backwards. This results in the first molars being unevenly worn with the unworn portions hanging down like stalactites. By this time the horse typically is not grinding his food well and in addition to the discomfort in his mouth, he is probably lacking in nutritional efficiency.


On the upper jaw, similar hooks form along the font edges of the first molars which also serve to "clamp" the jaw in place. This generates unnatural pressure on the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ).


As these conditions develop the horse's teeth must be once again made level through use of a dental rasp or float. This process is called "floating," the purpose of which is to rasp off the excess tooth material in order to create a level "table" for the molars to come together. The type of rasp used varies according to the size of the horse's mouth and relative hardness of his teeth. If the conditions are allowed to get to severe, corrective dentistry will be required which involves specialized tools and knowledge. Note: It's not the dentist's intent to make the teeth completely flat. They need some irregularity in order for the horse to grind his food. The table (overall surface where the rows of teeth meet) must be reasonably level overall in order to allow proper jaw movement.


In the case of a missing tooth, the opposing tooth will erupt into the space where the missing one should be, causing some problems. The long tooth should be cut or filed to be the same length as the others.


If the hooks are too large, the rasp, or float, cannot make it past the hooks, so they will first have to be "rough cut" with a special dental tool.


Once the floating is complete, the mouth should be checked to make sure the horse's canines (pointy teeth found behind the incisors in stallions and geldings) are not so long that they press into the opposing gums. If they have grown too long, they will need to be shortened. Some people use hoof nippers to accomplish this task however these teeth can shatter when nipped, causing complications. Grinding or using a dental cutting tool is more appropriate.


Some horses will also have wolf teeth. These are small premolars which appear on the upper jaw above and usually slightly ahead of the molars. These teeth are particularly troublesome as they are not set in the jawbone and the presence of a bit pressing against them can cause significant gum discomfort. If they are present, they should be removed by a veterinarian or equine dentist.


Hope that helps! :^)
Reply:A vet/farrier uses a rasp to smooth off any sharp ridges on a horses teeth that could cause discomfort with the bit or eating
Reply:A vet or an equine dentist will float a horses teeth with a rasp or a file. Basically, floating is just filing the teeth down smooth.


A horses teeth wear unevenly. This can result in the bit not seating properly, head tossing, weight loss, etc. It should be done twice per year.
Reply:Floating teeth files them down and makes them smooth so they can eat properly. Sharp teeth can cut into the horses mouth and create sores and such, and extremely uncomfortable for eating. I highly reccomend you get your horses teeth floated and checked about twice a year.

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