| HEALTH |
You can tell a lot about a HORSE from looking into its MOUTH STEPHEN LAIRD DISCUSSES WITH RACHEL McMAHON WHY KEEPING A RACEHORSE’S ORAL HEALTH UP TO DATE IS VITAL TO MAINTAINING PEAK HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE.
| MAGAZINE 2022 |
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VOLUTION OF EQUINE DENTISTRY There have been major advances in equine dentistry over the last few decades. Equine health care practises have become more predominant than ever, leading to increasing demand for skilled equine dentists. A trade that was previously undertaken by a farrier has evolved into a science, with new techniques and different methods constantly being developed, with more sophisticated technologies replacing traditional methods. The horse's mouth is the primary point of contact between the horse and rider. If a horse is uncomfortable or suffers from oral pain, it can make the horse difficult to handle and therefore have a negative impact on the
performance of the horse. Equine Dentistry plays an important role in the upkeep of horse’s health. Dental check-ups take place on a six to twelve-month basis, depending on the age of the horse as well as their dental needs. Having a horse regularly checked over by an equine dentist ensures the horse is getting the maximum benefit from their food, as it helps the horse to thrive and in theory enhance their performance in their discipline. Stephen Laird highlights the importance of regular examinations in relation to a horse’s performance. You can tell a great deal about a horse from looking into their mouth. If a horse isn’t comfortable in the mouth, they are not going to be eating their food properly, they are not going to be riding properly. If they’re not eating well, they are not going to be training well so you are not going to be getting the best out of that horse. Unlike human teeth, horse’s molars are constantly growing. A horse chews in a circular motion, which causes sharp, uneven points to develop on the outside of the molars. These sharp points can cause ulceration of tongue and cheeks which often results in problems with eating and difficulty in handling the horse, as they are in discomfort especially when there is a bit in their mouth.
Most of the bigger yards will do their horses twice a year to keep on top of them. The teeth will sharpen up in six months. From yearlings upwards their teeth sharpen up a lot quicker and the horse would be losing a lot of teeth between the ages of 2 and 4. They lose 12 incisors between 2 and 5 years old, they shed like baby teeth. Mostly the teeth fall out independently but sometimes it can cause problems when they are still attached, the teeth can go sideways and could lacerate their tongue or their gums. Sometimes a dentist has to take them out. Having initially started out working hands on in racing, establishing a career race riding in Ireland and the UK, Stephen later retrained as an Equine Dentist. A good friend of mine Gary Waters is a horse dentist and is from South Africa. He was always adamant for me to train as one, so I shadowed him. I watched him in his work and that is where I found the interest. So, I trained up and haven’t looked back since. I work independently from my base in Wexford but Gary Waters, Stuart Huggan and myself team up together a few times a year to do the bigger yards, we’re quite unique in that way. The likes of Joseph O’Brien’s or Gordon Elliott’s. Since they have so many horses there could be three of us go in together to get through the yard quicker rather than one person go in on
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