Dental Exams and Floats

It's that time of year when some of the shaggy horses you've been feeding all winter start to look a little ribby.  Many horse owners start increasing grain fed to their horses when they notice the weight loss.  Then after several months of increased feed bills, they come in to see if something is really wrong with their horse.  In most all cases, the teeth just needed to be floated.

This is a procedure where the grinding surfaces of the horse's teeth are made even to make it easier for the horse to properly chew his food.  Even in very young horses, sharp points on the back teeth can cause pain while chewing, improper grinding of food, diarrhea, and weight loss.  Once a float has been performed, weight gain is usually noted within a short time.

To see the back teeth effectively, a dental speculum must be used.  The exam is not thorough without the use of a speculum.   A power float is then used to grind the surfaces of the teeth.

Horses' teeth, called "Hysodont" continually erupt 2 to 3 mm per year, so this procedure may need to be repeated every year or more if they have problems.