Page 52 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
P. 52
Most horses tolerate the examination and rasping of teeth. However, fractious horses and
those requiring a lot of work or procedures likely to be painful should be sedated and given
VetBooks.ir routine analgesia by the vet. The safety of the horse and the people assisting must be
considered when the horse is wearing a full-mouth speculum; unpredicted sudden
movements by the horse can cause serious injury to the people nearby.
BIT SEATS
When a contact is taken up with the reins, the bit pushes the soft tissues of the mouth against
the second premolar teeth. This occurs particularly with a snaffle bit. To minimize any
discomfort, the upper and lower second premolars are often rounded and smoothed off. This
procedure is called a ‘bit seat’ (Figure 2.8). Removing too much tooth exposes the pulp
cavity so this must be done with care.
Figure 2.8 The front upper and lower premolars may be rounded off to produce a ‘bit seat’
WOLF TEETH
The first premolars or wolf teeth are not present in every horse. They vary in size and
