How is the horses eating process - Mastication - like mixing cake batter?  Hopefully this comparison will make it easier for you to understand why regular dental care and maintenance is important for your horses.

Cake mix, eggs, water and oil are the ingredients for a cake. These ingredients need to be chopped up and blended together to make the cake batter.  Most people will use a mixer with two beaters for this process.  The beaters will pull the ingredients between them and the rotation and pressure will blend them to a fine batter.  The horses mouth works much the same way.

The normal grazing position for a horse is with their head down.  The incisors pull the grass from the ground and the tongue rotates it backwards through the mouth. As the food rotates from the front molars to the back molars it is crushed into fine particles that are easily digested and provide the best nutrition.  If the eating surface of the upper and lower teeth are lined up properly - Occlusion - mastication will be efficient and the teeth will wear in a normal pattern.  If the teeth are not lined up properly (the mixer beaters are bent or out of position) the rotation process will be limited, the food will not be crushed enough and the teeth will not wear properly.  If your horse drops food while eating or has undigested food in the manure they are probably in need of dental care. 

Range horses that graze daily typically have few dental problems. Horses in stalls or small pastures - usually don't eat enough roughage or have their head a natural downward position and don't have the correct wear on their teeth.  This uneven wear causes sharp ridges along the tongue and cheeks, teeth to grow improperly, limited lateral movement of the jaw making eating more difficult which reduces the nutrition the horse receives from it's food and can also result in behavioral problems especially when wearing a bit.  

Your horse's need regular dental care and maintenance at least once a year, preferably every six months.  If their teeth are kept balanced so occlusion is good, mastication will be more efficient, their teeth will be healthier longer, nutrition will be better, the chance of periodontal disease will be greatly reduced, and much more.  A healthier happier horse will help make your life easier.  

I hope this brief explanation will help you better understand the importance of dentistry for your horses.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

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