Polo horses’ teeth grow permanently and wear out with the normal friction due to the grinding of food, so this asymmetrical wear can produce sharp edges that must be filed because they hurt the inside of the mouth. In a polo horse, there is also the added wear due to the use of braces. The Pelham performs a leverage effect and makes downward pressure hurting the floor of the mouth and this can only be prevented by padding the iron with special rubber bandages. The Lifting Filet brings the corner of the lips well up and forces the cheeks to crush against the tips above and the first molar below, that is why this iron, and all its variables, is the one that causes the most damage to the cheek.
Therefore, the function of the Equine Dentist is to solve these problems to avoid that it is reflected in the horse’s performance.
How is the procedure?
First, the veterinarian anesthetizes the horse so that it does not feel pain and relaxes. Then, support is placed inside the horse’s mouth to keep it open, as a base under the horse’s head so, that it can support itself during the procedure.
Once the horse is calm, local anesthesia is applied around the molars, so it is asleep and does not feel any discomfort while working. With the lathe, which dentists use on us, file the back molars so that the horse does not get hurt when the bridle is used during playtime. Finally, use the file to make all the teeth even and finish the job.
If yow want to actually see how polo horses’ teeth are taken care of, watch the video!
