Check your horses's teeth

[Mike Leonard]

This is an issue that needs to be discussed a bit. Horses as a rule need to have some regular tooth care to be at their best.

As a 3 year old moves to their fourth year and their teeth begin to mature you need to have a vet or qualified horse care professional check your horse for tooth problem. To eliminate bridling and bit problems the young horse should have it's wolf teeth extracted and then the other teeth checked for bite. If a horse has high spots on their teeth it makes it hard to grind grain or feed properly and you will notice they drop a lot of food and don't get all the nutrition they could. It is very imporatant in older horses that have fallen of, many times it is a tooth problem. Also some horse's prone to colic will be much better after you have their teeth worked on.

So this is a good time of year to get all those issues taken care of so your horse can be healthy and full of vigor going into the fall and winter hunting months.

Happy Trails!

[Big Mike]

Tried to get a guy to float my mules teeth. He is one of the best around at it. He told me "I hope every mule dies with a tooth ache, I aint touch them dam things" Guess I'll have to find someone else hahahahhaha

[catdogs]

If you have an unthrifty horse and it's not age or a parasite load, ITS BAD TEETH. Tipping the head while eating and extra slobber are also signs. You can feel the hooks usually, they'll be on the inside on the bottom jaw and the outside on the top. I've seen horses you wouldn't recognize a month after their teeth were floated.

[FullCryHounds]

If anyone in CO. needs someone, I've got a buddy that started this here in CO. about 10 years ago. He used to travel all around the country teaching this method. Now, all he does is horse teeth here in CO. Dr. Scott Marx.

[Dan V]

If anyone in the southern idaho area needs more than what the common vet does with a float; check out the horse dentistry school in Glen's Ferry Idaho (between Mountain Home and Twin Falls).

They have good rates espeacialy if you have several horses that need to be done. Beside the health issues with chewing food; it can also effect the way a horse reins or handles. If you think about it, alot of times we are steering them with their jaw when you pull on the reins. If their teeth dont line up right and have wear issues and spurs; it can be responsible for some horses beeing overly right or left handed when turning. They will also make a "bit seat" (by beveling off where the top and bottom teeth meet)at the front of the molars so you dont have any sharp up or down edges constantly hooking on the bit (works good on bridal horses).

When I was there severl years ago they had students from all over the country and other places around the world. They could probably recomend a graduate from their school that might be closer to home for some of you.

Check them out at:
Academy of Equine Dentistry, 208-366-2315
or equinedentalacademy.com The web site shows a bunch of interesting photos of teeth and mouths in general

[Cowboyvon]

Big Mike,

If you still need someone to do your Mule let me know .. I have a guy that comes through and does ours well our horses but he told me he would do the mules too ..Wiley Whittacher..he's good. He'll knock the wolf teeth out float em and get rid of the hooks get the ticks out of thier ears and clean there sheath. we have the stuff to float their teeth but anymore we just get Wiley to do it..

[Big Mike]

I do, sent you a PM

[Brady Davis]