The function of a horses teeth seem obvious to us as it nips off
the grass with its incisors and transfers it back to the molars
for grinding. When the food is ground into the finest particles
possible and mixed with enough saliva it then moves to the gut
where it is broken down. Without correctly maintained teeth the
horse has difficulty grinding hay and grain into fine enough
particles for proper nutrient utilization. Here are some of the
most common problems often found in lack of dental treatment:
Lacerated cheeks and tongue, hooks on front upper arcade or rear
lower hooks, retained caps, sores, ulcers or bitting injuries.
Any of these problems can cause a number of behavioural problems
and keep a horse from maintaining condition and giving its full
potential. From the age of two to five the horse's mouth is in a
volatile state going through changes such as cutting or losing
twenty-four milk teeth and the eruption of thirty-six permanent
teeth. They may also go through the eruption of up to four wolf
teet