Dental Pain and Horse Behavior

Hannah Lochner

In horses, we often recognize dental pain with changes in eating behavior, bit comfort and body weight. Researchers in Finland compared owner reported behavioral signs with cheek tooth findings of a veterinary dental exam.

In the study, the researchers included 183 horses that met the following criteria: were over five years old, had no front teeth problems, were using a bit, and had owner consent and complete data. Veterinarians experienced in equine dentistry examined each horse which included performing a general exam, palpating the head and evaluating breath odor. The horse owners completed a survey that asked questions about their horse's information, eating behavior, bit behavior, general behavior and health history.

The horses in the study had a medi- an age of 12 and tended to be geldings (56%), warmbloods (44%) and used for riding (89%). Almost all (95%) horses had at least one finding in one cheek tooth or more. The most prevalent dental findings were infundibular decay (76%), fissures (69%) and peripheral decay (65%). The odds of horses expressing five or more behavioral signs was 13 times higher in horses with broadened or darkened fissures, five times higher with a complicated fracture and seven times higher with a secondary dentine defect (grade ≥ two) compared to horses expressing one bit related or no behavioral signs. Horses with at least one potentially painful finding expressed more eating, bit related and general behavioral signs than those without. The majority of horses expressing five or more behavioral signs ate hay slowly (67%), paused while eating hay (57%), evaded the bit (67%), had asymmetrical rein contact (74%) and opened their mouth during riding/ driving (64%).

A greater number of behavioral signs associated with broadened or darkened fissures, complicated fracture and secondary dentine defects (grade ≥ two) indicates that these problems may potentially be painful. While horses with known medical conditions were not included in this study, many of the behavioral signs assessed are common among other medical conditions, which cannot be ruled out. But recognizing these behaviors and seeking a dental exam are key to keeping your horse comfortable and their cheek teeth in check.

For more information on this research, read the full paper (https:// www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S0737080622003343?via%3Dihub ) published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Sciences.