Feeling less spry as life’s clock keeps ticking may give you a deeper appreciation of the expression, “Long in the tooth.” While the general definition of this refers to getting old, it is a misnomer when related to horses because their teeth don’t actually get longer as they age.
Horses’ teeth appear to become longer with age but not from growing. They are erupting, becoming more exposed over time, on average of 1/8” every year. Horses’ teeth continually push through the gumline to compensate for the normal process of grinding down through their mastication operation. The first step in digestion is to make the valuable nutrients from the plant material they consume available by initially cutting the grass with the incisors, the teeth at the end of the jaw which act as scissors to cut the vegetation from the ground. There are 6 incisors on the top jaw and 6 on the bottom. They act in unison to sheer the plant material. This freshly cut breakfast is then moved to the cheek teeth, 12 premolar and 12 molars shared equally on the right and left sides of the jaw which literally crush the cellulose fibers as the jaws move back and forth in a circular pattern creating a grinding surface.
Over time the tooth surfaces may become uneven or develop sharp points lessening the effectiveness of a large, flat surface in which to grind the vegetation. If allowed, a horse will typically munch all day. If you notice your horse not eating their normal volume of feed, it might indicate some attention to their mouth is required. Other signs that your horse’s teeth may need professional attention include the horse tilting their head while chewing, eating more slowly than normal, witnessing excessive feed falling from their mouth while eating, or the presence of small wet bundles of hay which were spit out on the ground. These bundles are called quids and are the result of a horse’s inability to efficiently chew properly. This quidding activity can be caused by many reasons but the most common relates directly to dental issues. Overgrown or fractured teeth, infected gums, teeth with sharp edges can all cause a horse to lacerate the inside of its cheek or tongue making the chewing process a painful one. To correct these problems requires a visit by a trained equine dental professional who will most likely correct any problems through tooth extraction or reshaping of the tooth surfaces with a rasping action commonly referred to as floating. This process is reminiscent of filing one’s nails with an emery board, just on a larger scale.
To become “long in the tooth” we all need to take care of ourselves and our equine friends by paying attention to the things which may not allow us to gain the proper nutrition to help us stay healthy. Being around longer for our friends, family and equine partners while helping them remain in top shape makes life worth living.