Page 105 - October 2015

the gums sometime during the foal’s first month of life. These baby teeth remain in place until they are pushed out when the permanent teeth come in. The 2 to 4-year-old horse is in the process of losing those baby teeth (caps) and they are normally shed in sets of four.
In textbook order, the first set of caps is shed when the horse is about 2 1/2 years of age, the second set at 3 years of age, and the final set of caps come off at about 3 1/2 to 4 years of age.
Retained Caps
Not all young horses follow the textbook schedule. Sometimes, there are complications. In humans, baby teeth come loose and fall
out as the permanent teeth come in. But in horses, the baby teeth deteriorate as the new permanent teeth start to erupt. The old ones become hollow. That’s why they are called caps. Sometimes, these caps do not detach from the gums as they should when the permanent teeth are pushing them out. This condition is called a retained cap and can cause inflammation of the gums, a painful mouth, and sometimes a sinus problem if the retained cap is in the upper jaw. If the retained cap is not removed, it may cause the new tooth to grow in at an improper angle or become impacted.
An observant horseman can usually become aware of problems and have the horse exam- ined by a veterinarian or equine dentist, and initiate proper dental care to head off trouble or prevent training resistance due to a sore mouth. Tooth problems in a young horse may cause him to throw his head while being ridden because of pain caused by the bit. Or, he may become hard to bridle. Mouth pain can make a horse perform poorly during training. A horse can’t concentrate on his lessons or training when his main attention is focused on pain
in his mouth. Even in the normal youngster, sharp edges may form because of teeth being shed and coming into wear at different stages.
tooth Bumps
The mouth goes through many changes before the horse is 5 years old, and some of these changes can cause problems in certain
individuals. During the years a horse is shed- ding baby teeth (age 2 to 4) and growing permanent ones, his mouth should be checked frequently. Sometimes a young horse (espe- cially between age 2 to 4) will develop bony protrusions on the lower jaw as the permanent cheek teeth come in. It’s not uncommon for the first and fourth molars to pinch the second and third molars as they emerge, temporarily inhibiting their upward growth, especially if the horse has a narrow lower jaw. This impac- tion creates bony lumps on the bottom of the lower jaw.
Almost always, the impacted teeth will gradually force their way up and the problem generally corrects itself. The second grinding tooth usually comes in when the horse is three, and the third one emerges at age four. After they come into their proper places, the bone protrusions on the jaw smooth out and the lumps are usually gone by the time the horse is 5 or 6 years old, though sometimes as late as 7. Occasionally, the impaction won’t correct itself and the obstructed teeth must be surgically removed. If a young horse has bony protrusions that rapidly become larger or are quite tender when touched, a veterinarian should exam-
ine the jaw and mouth. Radiographs may be needed to see if the teeth should be taken out.
Wolf teeth
Late yearlings, 2 year olds, and sometimes 3 year olds, occasionally have problems with wolf teeth if the horse is being started in a bridle. Wolf teeth are technically called the first pre- molars and are normally located in front of the upper second premolars. They usually appear about 6 months of age. About 20% of horses (both male and female) have these residual teeth, which are not to be confused with canine teeth that are in a different location and that commonly occur in the male. Some horsemen routinely have wolf teeth extracted before the young horse goes into training. Most wolf teeth are easily located and extracted. It’s a simple procedure that can be done by a veterinarian or an equine dentist. Normal wolf teeth can cause problems if a bit comes into contact with them.
The bit may irritate, loosen, or even break this tooth. A wolf tooth may also lacerate the flesh of the cheek that is pulled back with the bit.
An un-erupted wolf tooth can also cause trouble. It lies beneath the gum and cannot be seen nor easily felt, but it can be irritated when the bit is pulled. The flesh covering the tooth can be bruised, and sometimes the action of a bit may eventually break the tooth even though it is still beneath the gum.
If a horse is suffering pain due to bit pres- sure on an un-erupted wolf tooth, he may
tuck his chin toward his chest to avoid contact between the bit and the wolf tooth, or he may carry his head to one side if he has only one wolf tooth. He may also carry his head abnor- mally high with his mouth open to try to avoid bit contact.
Any horse that has to carry a bit low in his mouth to prevent bit discomfort should be examined for un-erupted wolf teeth. To check for these, put your index finger on the roof the mouth directly in front of the first upper grinding tooth and move the finger back and forth on the gum to see if you feel a bump about the size of the end of your finger. Don’t press too hard or the horse may react in pain if the area has already been bruised by a bit. If the horse has an un-erupted wolf tooth, your veterinarian can extract it by making an inci- sion through the gum.
dental CheCkups
All too often a behavior problem or training problem in a young horse is actually due to
a sore mouth. A thorough examination by a veterinarian, with any necessary dental work performed before the young horse goes into training, is often a good idea and will improve the horse’s performance and avoid any set-backs in training. Most veterinarians recommend that young horses’ mouths and teeth be exam- ined twice a year from the age of 2 (starting even younger if a horse has problems eating or chewing) until about age 5 or 6, or until all
the permanent teeth have come in. An annual exam is then sufficient for most horses until they reach their teens, at which time it may be
Equine dentists will examine the horse and initiate proper dental care to head off trouble and prevent training resistance due to a sore mouth, float the teeth as needed on each individual horse and remove sharp points to make the horse more comfortable,
determine if wolf teeth should be extracted, and pull loose teeth when necessary.
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equine health