The proper care and maintenance of the animals mouth

Hi this is Brooke Carlson and welcome to my blog. During the 2022 season series I am going to focus on the proper techniques and practices to keep your horse safe, healthy and above all happy. As you might expect this is a complicated subject, so each quarter I will discuss one important aspect of the process in depth as well as many additional topics.

The choice for my first blog might surprise many of you. I want to discuss the proper care and maintenance of the animals mouth…yup the mouth! Why you ask…very simple, if the horse has difficulties consuming food and water it will not live very long so nothing else you might do matters.

A horse’s mouth is very complex just like a human’s. Horses need regular checkups by a competent vet trained in horse dentistry. I have an excellent Vet on my team, Rich McCormick (see photos of Rich in action “floating” the teeth of one of my horses). At a minimum the Vet sees every horse every year. A through exam is performed to ensure overall mouth health including mouth, tongue, gums and teeth. Teeth tend to be the primary source of issues with horses. Most fully mature horses have 40 teeth so there is a lot of preventative maintenance required. All of the teeth need to be carefully examined and/or removed if problematic.

In addition to the annual exam, every other year the Vet must perform the process of “floating” the horse’s teeth (be grateful as a human you do not have to do this). Ok so what is “floating” and why is it so important? Floating is the process of grinding down the sharp enamel points that interfere with the horse’s ability to properly chew food.Additionally, this process corrects malocclusions, balances the dental arcade and corrects any other dental issues. This process is essential for good horse health. With routine dental care your horse will be able to consume nourishment effectively and pain free…the results are amazing. A healthy, happy horse ensures the best possible riding experience.

Thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts and insights with you on equine care. I look forward to seeing many of you at the “Ranch” soon.