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Mare needs her teeth floated

2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  luvs2ride1979 
#1 ·
Just found out Sandie needs her teeth floated...and apparently pretty badly -- just got her 3 weeks ago and not sure when the last time her teeth were ever floated was! (vet seems to think it's been a long while though!) She's still getting used to contact on her mouth with the bit when I ride her because her previous owner didn't really have time to ride her all that much and when she was ridden, it was without much contact.

For the first 2 weeks with me, she was doing really well getting used to the contact on her mouth...now she is throwing her head around at the slightest bit of pressure and acting very fussy! Could some of this be because she needs her teeth floated and the bit is making her uncomfortable? The dentist is coming out soon to do it and I guess I could just wait and see, but just wondering if anyone else has noticed this behavior when your horse needs his/her teeth floated badly?
 
#2 ·
my mustang mare acts up when you try to ride with any contact at all. I have been pretty much unable to ride her unless it is in the pasture and the reins just droop while we walk and trot around. She will not listen to any commands that are not leg commands. On a month or so wait for a dentist right now...
 
#3 ·
I guess I shouldn't be too hard on her since she's so new to all this, and new to me as well! (and the stable itself, she lived outside 24/7 before)...it's just that for the first 2 weeks we were making SUCH good progress and now seem to be going backwards this week. Maybe I'm just being impatient though! :)
 
#4 ·
oh yes teeth can have a huge part in that! There might be something else wrong, but getting her teeth done is a very good start. I noticed that once my gelding had his done, he doesn't pull around on the lead and keep his head so high and he's not so fussy. (he's not broke yet, so don't know how the difference in the bit would be). from what I hear, teeth can have a big effect on horse behavior. Good luck!
 
#6 ·
So glad to hear it! I can't wait to see what she's like once that's been done...the vet made it sound like she has absolute FANGS in there, it MUST be uncomfortable for the poor girl :-( I almost feel bad even riding her at all until the dentist can come in, but he's not coming for another week or so and the ground's too nasty wet and icy right now for turnout so if I don't ride her she's going to get all stir crazy and cooped up (worse than she already is from no turnout!)
 
#5 ·
well and when re-training or doing a refresh course on training, there are ups and downs, good streaks and very bad ones. It's extremely normal to have them take 5 steps forward and 2 steps back especially when in a new home. Plus, it is going to take a few more than 2 weeks to get used to eachother. I know how ya feel though, im always so anxious to get to the next level!
 
#7 ·
:lol:

That's understandable! And it IS frustrating sometimes, you're right! I was used to riding my trainer's horses for the last 2 years...perfect little eventing horses! haha They listen to leg yields if the breeze blows against their side!
 
#8 ·
oh geez, ya but the ones that aren't push button are sometimes much more fun! hehe

if you feel bad about riding her until her teeth are done, than there is always a lot of ground work you can do to excersise and bond with eachother. I know I take my gelding trotting over small logs and around poles and do a lot of stop, walk, trot things to get excersise and man I get some myself!! lol. But yes, they very well could just have bad days. I felt so bad that Thunder needed his teeth done that I didn't work him hard until they were done and then waited a week after to start up again. Hope she feels better, and don't worry, bad days usually start out bad and you can tell it's not a day to work lol....It's not because she's out to get vengeance on ya! hehehehe :)
 
#9 ·
Yes, head throwing can definitely be caused by teeth. Wolf teeth can also cause that, so have them pulled when your vet floats her teeth if she has any. My mare had to have hers pulled at around 8 years old. She started head throwing pretty bad, even with good teeth. Once those were pulled, she quit throwing her head.

For now, just ride her in a halter or side pull until you can get her teeth done. Watch her weight too as horses with bad teeth can lose weight due to food not being chewed effectively.
 
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