How to recognize dental problems in your horse

Horses are very adept at compensating for dental abnormalities. They often show very few symptoms despite the severity of their dental problems.

In most cases, you won’t notice anything wrong with your horse, even with advanced conditions. However, there are some changes that may indicate a dental problem, including:

• Quidding (dropping partially chewed food)
• Drooling
• Abnormal odor from the mouth
• Head shyness
• Head shaking
• Riding problems
• Sensitivity in the mouth
• Hardness in the mouth
• Holding the head tilted
• Difficulty accepting the bit
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Poor overall condition
• Behavioral changes
• Nasal discharge, usually from one nostril

In exceptional cases, we see horses that are hungry but refuse or are unable to eat due to severe dental problems. The absence of such pronounced symptoms does not necessarily mean that your horse does not have dental problems.

Therefore, an annual dental check-up is not an unnecessary luxury. Even if your horse does not show clear signs of dental problems.