Dental changes in senior horses and management of age-related dental welfare problems.
Key Facts
Horses continuously erupt teeth that eventually wear down and become loose in old age
Senior horses often develop wave mouth, step mouth, and loose teeth
Loss of teeth requires diet adaptation to easily chewed forms like soaked feeds
Difficulty chewing causes weight loss that may appear to be a primary health problem
Dental assessment reveals the true extent of age-related dental welfare problems
Welfare Considerations
Senior horse dental changes cause significant welfare deficit through pain and nutritional decline, requiring regular assessment and dietary adaptation.
What You Can Do
Schedule twice-yearly dental examinations for horses over 15 years old
Switch to soaked feed and chaff for horses with severe dental disease
Monitor body condition score closely in senior horses as an indicator of dental welfare