Equine Wolf Teeth & Bitting

For the past while we have been focusing on finding the right bit for your horse to make it more comfortable in the mouth.

However I keep on saying that having the horse medically checked if it is having problems is important.

As is getting the horses teeth checked!

So I thought it might be informative to show you what to look for in the mouth, and to know when to call in a dental professional.

This week I want to focus on...

One problem area that often causes horses to react as if the bit was the problem.

And that is the subject of Equine "Wolf Teeth".

Wolf teeth are vestigial molars. That means they no longer have a useful function as a tooth.

They usually grow tight against the first molars, but have shallow roots and thus a bit pressing against these teeth loosens the tooth in the gum and causes inflammation and discomfort, causing the horse to react as if it had the wrong bit in its mouth.

The problem is made worse if the wolf teeth are vestigially displaced.

That means they grow further forward and thus are in effect "Stand Alone" teeth without even the molars to support them.

A bit moving up in the horse's mouth will always loosen these teeth and cause the horse pain as these teeth are then loosened in the gum and the roots become inflamed.

Take a look at the video where Luke Davey, who is an "equine dental technician" talks more about wolf teeth.

Equine Wolf Teeth & Bitting...