Horse Teeth and Dental Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Equine dental health is fundamental to welfare — pain from sharp points, infected teeth, or poor occlusion causes chronic suffering and significantly impacts nutrition and behavior.

Key Facts

Horses' teeth erupt continuously throughout life and must be worn evenly — uneven wear creates sharp points and hooks that lacerate oral soft tissue
An estimated 60-75% of horses have some degree of dental abnormality requiring correction at any given time
Signs of dental pain include quidding (dropping partially chewed food), resistance to the bit, head tilting, and behavioral changes
Dental examinations under sedation using a full mouth gag and light source are necessary to assess the entire oral cavity
Equine dental treatment should be performed by qualified equine dental technicians or vets with dental training
Wolf teeth (small first premolars) are commonly removed in young horses before training to prevent bit interference and pain

Welfare Considerations

Dental pain in horses is chronically underdiagnosed because behavioral changes are subtle and attributable to training or temperament. A horse that resists the bit, headshakes, or drops quidded food is communicating oral discomfort — symptoms that are often treated with equipment changes or training interventions rather than dental assessment. Annual dental examinations (biannual for young and very old horses) detect problems before they become severe. Pain-free eating and comfortable bitting are welfare foundations that dental care directly supports.

What You Can Do

Schedule annual dental examinations performed under sedation for all horses in your care
Increase exam frequency to biannual for horses under 5 years (rapid dental development) and over 20 years (risk of tooth loss)
Investigate any behavioral changes — especially bit resistance, head-tilting, or quidding — as potential dental pain signals
Use only qualified equine dental practitioners (Equine Dental Technicians with BEVA/BVDA accreditation in the UK)
Never use a bit on a horse with known dental pathology until it has been treated