Horse dental health directly affects their welfare and ability to eat comfortably. Regular dental care is essential but often neglected, particularly in working horses in developing countries.
Horse dental welfare is an underappreciated welfare dimension that directly affects comfort, nutrition, and behavior. Equine teeth develop sharp points and abnormalities that cause mouth pain, reduced feed efficiency, and behavioral resistance to bit contact during work. Annual dental care involving rasping sharp points and addressing abnormalities is standard practice for horses in higher-income countries but is rarely available to working horses in developing nations, where animals may work their entire lives with progressively worsening dental pain. Organizations providing mobile veterinary dental services to working horse communities have demonstrated significant welfare benefit — treated horses show improved body condition and reduced work-related behavioral problems within months of treatment.