Dental disease is a major and underappreciated welfare problem in horses and ponies. Horses' continuously erupting teeth develop sharp points and abnormalities that cause pain, difficulty eating, and behavioural problems if not regularly managed.
Dental pain in horses is chronically underdiagnosed because the signs are often behavioural rather than obviously physical. Horses with sharp dental points causing cheek lacerations continue to eat and appear normal to untrained observers. Regular dental examination by a qualified professional is the most important preventive welfare measure for horses after regular farriery. The connection between dental pain and ridden behaviour problems means that dental assessment should be a first-line investigation in any horse with performance or behaviour changes.