How to Check a Horse\’s Teeth
Like a human being, keeping the teeth of a horse clean and neat is crucial to the animal’s health and survival. A horse is an intimidating creature and going close could have people thinking twice before doing so, but in order to detect problems such as gum disease and other oral issues you will have to take a look. Checking a horse’s teeth may not only be due to the indication of any disease but also due to the fact that this is a good way to check the age, health and general condition of the animal.
Instructions
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1
Feeling Safe
Having the horse in a condition where it feels safe and happy will allow you to come a lot closer and eventually be able to check his or her teeth without any issues. If the horse is in a rowdy mood than the animal will not let you as close as you need to be in order to adequately check the health of the horse’s teeth. Getting to know a horse first would be a better option and patting it along with brushing the animal's hair will give more confidence in the horse about you. -
2
Front of the Mouth
Starting off with the front of the mouth is the easiest way to start off. Part the lips of the horse’s mouth and look thoroughly at the front teeth. Checking the incisors that are of the same size and are flat in shape should give you an indication that this is the horse’s main biting surface. -
3
Lower Incisors
Checking for the lower incisors could be a bit more challenging as your will need to raise the horse’s head up with your hand from under the chin. -
4
Grinding
In order to check the grinding action of the molars, you will need to use your hand by putting it under the chin and the other above the nose as you carefully slide the jaw to one side, or whichever you are looking to move it towards. By doing this a few times, you will be able to hear the sound of the horse’s teeth grinding and making the sound which you are listening for. -
5
Breath
Smell the breath of the horse and if it has a funny smell, it could be a sign of something wrong in his or her stomach along with some dental disease. Usually, a horse’s mouth will smell like what it has been eating and if it is something other than that and constant, than there could be something wrong.
