Dental care is essential for equine welfare, with dental pain affecting feeding, behavior, and overall quality of life in horses and ponies.
Equine dental welfare is often overlooked between veterinary visits despite causing significant chronic pain. Sharp enamel points lacerate the cheeks and tongue during chewing, causing pain with every mouthful. Horses with dental pain may drop food, quid (spit out partially chewed material), lose weight, and show behavioral resistance to the bit during riding. Because horses are stoic prey animals, owners often attribute these signs to behavioral problems rather than pain. Annual dental examinations by a qualified equine dental veterinarian, with treatment of any sharp points or dental disease, are a basic welfare requirement for all horses.