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This article is provided to give helpful information an taking care of the teeth of the Icelandic Horse. Please contact us and let us know what other Icelandic Horse Information you would like to see on this page! HORSES HAVE TEETH TOO! By Dr. James G. Hood DDS, PS Doctor of Dental Surgery As a dentist I treat people with tooth problems daily. Routine maintenance and regular check-ups are the best way to insure good oral health in people. Icelandic Horses, likewise, can have tooth problems and routine maintenance and regular check-ups are the best insurance for good equine oral health. Frequently, I see people with a broken or abscessed tooth. These people can often not function at all in their job and frequently can’t even carry on normal conversation. Pain creates bizarre behaviors. How many of you have seen or experienced tooth pain? Yet, the oral health of Icelandic horses is most probably the least well treated overall area in equine health. We expect Icelandic horses with tooth problems to focus on the task at hand. Horses with sharp interfering cusps on their teeth we expect to ride without head tossing, rearing, resisting the bridle, tongue rolling or going on the bit. Why if the human species with a tooth problem can exhibit poor performance, do we expect the equine species to exhibit anything other than poor performance? The Icelandic horse evolved as a grazing animal and the best food source for horses is natural grass. Horses were designed for continuous mastication (grass, hay or stalls). As Icelandic horses became domesticated grass is not always available and hay has become necessary to keep horses. This is the second best method to good equine nutrition and grain is third. Wear on the teeth of Icelandic horses is affected by these changing diets of the horse, grass, hay and grain. A grazing animal with use and wear it’s front teeth more than a stalled hay and grain fed animal. Maintenance therefore will be different. Equine dentistry of Icelandic Horses encompasses all aspects of the oral health in horses. In the past Icelandic horses with bad teeth were eliminated by natural selection. Today, a well maintained horses’ dentition can extend the life of that horse for decades! How do you recognize dental problems in an Icelandic horse? This is a good question and I’ll answer it first with a statement. Riders should be feeders. Observe your equine regularly while eating. Problems with your Icelandic Horse will show up in the following ways:
If you notice any of these points in your Icelandic Horse please contact an equine dentist for your horse immediately. You will be rewarded by having a happy and well-behaved Icelandic horse. Begin early with oral examinations. On humans a good rule of thumb is: Brush your teeth twice a day and see your dentist twice a year. With Icelandic horses the twice a year vet or equine dentist check-ups are a good idea through age 5 (when they have a full compliment of equine teeth). After age 5 once a year for most Icelandic horses is adequate. The most common dental problems in Icelandic horses include:
Older Icelandic horses in colder climates often will colic due to cold water sensitivity on worn teeth. The cold sensitivity causes them to drink less, so be aware and warm water for your horses in the wintertime. In closing I’d like to reiterate teeth, human or equine, and their regular care and maintenance are very important to overall health. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right. Observe your horse frequently. They are a great breed and we need to take care of their teeth. More information about Equine Dentistry in Icelandic Horses will be provided by: Dr. James G. Hood DDS, PS a doctor of dental surgery. He also continues to study equine dentistry- especially in Icelandic Horses. |
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