Page 128 - The Mini Horse Magazine 2023 No 1

LEGENDS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Then there are other little things that make my if it is not urgent, to plan treatment according to
job easier – equipment for pulling wolf teeth and the type of housing.
milk caps, a chisel for removing tartar, a syringe
for rinsing the fungus, a headlamp, a mirror for Do you encounter in practice the treatment of
detecting cavities and a so-called examination the teeth of miniature horses?
to determine the depth and severity of cavities. I do encounter it but not often.
Power tools have many advantages over manual
rasps, but you have to know how to do the job. It How often and why to trim the teeth of ponies
could happen that they grind the teeth too much and miniature horses?
and hurt the horse.
From my experience, the same treatment intervals
as I already mentioned apply to them. And at the
How can a horse owner prepare for dental same time, it is always individual according to the
treatment? problem of the given individual. But it is true that
The main thing is to steel your nerves and be the incidence of unevenness and dental problems
calm, many owners are afraid of the treatment is higher in them.
and it transfers it terribly to the horse. Sometimes
it would be better if he wasn't there and my Unfortunately, sometimes a common problem
colleague and I did the work ourselves. with miniature horses is an overbite or an
underbite, how often do such teeth need to be
What I need is access to electricity and water. A adjusted?
box is ideal, but a shelter with a reinforced floor
and walls to prevent the horses from backing up Yes, it's true, again it's very individual. It's great
is also sufficient. Of course, I will treat the horse when a dentist comes to the horse and does it
in a completely free space, but if the horse does regularly, so he can observe how fast the horse's
not cooperate much despite the sedation, then teeth are cutting and what interval it needs.
the whole process is much more demanding. Whether or not there is a general rule, as with
humans, each horse is individual and otherwise
In winter, I prefer warm water and a stable his teeth are quickly cut and ground when eating.
where we can hide. Working outside in the
winter is really demanding, so I ask the owners, However, with these problem teeth and perhaps
even fallen out/pulled teeth, it is better to move
the interval to, say, 9 months.

Anything else you want to add? Did I forget an
important question?
From what I have observed from practice, the
most important thing is to do regular checks, even
if the horse does not show any problems. When
they occur, the treatment is much less pleasant for
the horse. And be careful, even a young horse can
have dental problems.

Not only the molars and molars need to be adjusted,
but also the incisors. I often encounter in practice
that some dentists do not do this treatment. And
it's also nice if the owner receives a report on
the treatment of the horse, where he has written
information about the horse, how it was sedated
and the condition of the teeth. Alternatively,
follow-up treatment and the date of the next visit.

128 | Miniature Horse Magazine • Issue 1/2023