Horse dental problems cause chronic pain that affects eating, behaviour, and performance, yet are frequently unrecognised by owners until disease is advanced — making regular dental care essential.
Equine dental pain is widespread and chronically underdiagnosed because horses' natural stoicism means obvious pain signs often appear only when disease is advanced. A horse with sharp enamel points ulcerating his cheeks, hooks preventing normal jaw movement, or molar overgrowths impeding chewing is experiencing ongoing pain that affects every meal. The welfare implications extend to behaviour and performance: bit resistance, head-tossing, and reluctance to accept contact may all indicate dental pain being attributed to training problems. Regular annual dental examination by qualified practitioners, with treatment as required, prevents the development of the painful dental pathologies that are so common in under-examined horses. This is basic preventive welfare that every horse owner can implement.