In order for JJ to feel comfortable with a bit in his mouth and to perform well he needs his teeth checked by a horse dentist at least twice a year. Ponies don't actually need fillings like humans. They sometimes need a tooth extracted and the sharp edges smoothed away a little.
Horses and ponies' teeth grow all the time and can develop sharp edges around the sides. This makes it very uncomfortable for them when they have a bit in their mouths. The bit actually pulls the inside of their cheeks onto the sharp edges of the teeth. This hurts and can cause ulceration or cuts on the inside of the pony's mouth.
Below our equine dental technician (horse dentist) is checking a patient's teeth.
This was a rather LARGE patient, so the dentist had to climb on the stable wall to reach into his mouth.
The silver instrument in the horses' mouth is called a speculum. This actually keeps its mouth open in order for the dentist to work on the teeth far back in the horse's mouth. Below is a photo of what the speculum looks like, and how it fits into the horse's mouth.
In this photo above one can also see how far back a horse's teeth go into the mouth. The dentist therefore needs long tools to reach those teeth at the back. Here are some of the tools used to care for horses' teeth.
Our equine dental technician's website is www.horse-dentist.co.za.
