Warning Signs

Here are some possible indications of poor dentition to look out for:

• Reluctance to eat
• Quidding (dropping feed whilst eating)
• Chewing with the mouth open
• Eating slowly/ Leaving feed
• Weight loss/Loss of condition
• Excessive salivation whilst eating
• Bleeding from mouth/Blood in saliva
• Colic
• Nasal discharge
• Facial swelling
• Undigested feed in manure
• Head tossing/shaking
• Bucking
• Head tilting whilst ridden
• Difficulty bending
• Opening the mouth whilst ridden
• Difficulty getting the horse ‘on the bit’
• Smell coming from mouth
• Tilting the head during eating

However do not always rely on any of these signs to show your horse is uncomfortable in the mouth. Horses are very good at masking dental pain and can be in agony without showing a single symptom. The best advice I can give you is if you aren’t sure if the horse has had a dental check in the last six months, get it checked as soon as possible. It is better to be safe than sorry and can work out more cost effective in the long run, than trying to correct a problem that has longer to develop.