Regular dental care is essential for horse welfare, with dental problems causing chronic pain, weight loss, and behavioral changes that are often attributed to behavioral issues.
Equine dental care is a critical but often neglected welfare consideration. Horses are prey animals that mask pain, making dental discomfort difficult to identify without examination. Sharp enamel points cause cheek ulcers, hooks cause tongue and palate trauma, and severely neglected mouths develop problems that impair normal eating and cause significant pain. The connection between dental pain and behavioral problems including ridden resistance is frequently missed, leading to training-based interventions that miss the underlying welfare issue. Regular dental examination by qualified professionals and prompt treatment of identified problems are the foundations of equine dental welfare.