Dental problems cause significant pain and welfare reduction in horses. Regular rasping and veterinary dental care are essential but frequently neglected.
Equine dental pain is frequently unrecognised by owners. Horses do not show obvious distress when eating in pain - they adapt their chewing pattern and may quid (drop food) while owners assume normal eating continues. Signs of dental pain include bit resistance, head tossing, and loss of condition, which are often misattributed to training problems rather than pain. Annual dental examination and treatment by a qualified equine dental technician or veterinary surgeon is essential basic care that is neglected for many horses, particularly those in less attentive ownership.