Dental disease is a major cause of pain and poor performance in horses, yet routine dental care remains inconsistently provided.
Equine dental pain is pervasive but largely silent — horses rarely stop eating from dental pain until the condition is severe. Instead, they adapt their chewing mechanics in ways that compromise digestion and cause secondary muscular and postural problems. Bitting problems, headshaking, and training resistance are commonly caused by dental pain that, once treated, resolves the behavioral issue without training intervention. Annual dental examination and floating (smoothing of sharp edges) by a qualified professional is the cornerstone of preventive equine dental care. Owners who avoid routine dental care due to cost unknowingly allow chronic pain to persist in their horses.