Page 51 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
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Figure 2.7 A painful ulcer on the horse’s cheek
Treatment
The sharp points are removed from the teeth by a procedure known as ‘rasping’ or ‘floating’.
The vet or EDT will have a number of dental rasps (also known as floats) of various shapes
and lengths so that all of the teeth can be reached and none of the sharp edges is missed.
There is now a range of power tools that, in capable hands, do the job in a shorter time with
less physical effort and reduce the risk of trauma to the soft tissues of the mouth and tongue.
They are water-cooled to prevent heat damage to the teeth. The aim of rasping is to remove
sharp points and maintain the normal conformation of the teeth so that the horse can chew in
comfort with a normal action. Any slightly tall teeth can be reduced in height and any
developing hooks removed. Each tooth is examined again at the end of the procedure to
check that nothing has been missed.
Sedation
