Dental issue

[Willow Flats]

Need some thoughts / advice. I was given a mare which I have in training to drive. On April 1st I had her teeth floated at an equine vet close to where she is getting her training because she is an hour from where I live. She has been having some issues with her mouth, resistant to turning to one side and the trainer has also tried various bits. His assistant is also an equine massage therapist and has checked her out. He is thinking that the horse may have a ramp or a point as there is some restriction when she moves her jaws sideways. They suggested I take her back to the dentist to make sure she was floated properly.

Have any of you ever had to return your horse to a dentist and should I be expecting to pay for another float, being it has been a little over a month? (I paid $207.00) This is a large facility and this particular vet has dentistry listed as a specialty and she seemed like she was being very thorough.

Any thoughts welcome.
Thanks

 

[Willow Flats]

Need some thoughts / advice. I was given a mare which I have in training to drive. On April 1st I had her teeth floated at an equine vet close to where she is getting her training because she is an hour from where I live. She has been having some issues with her mouth, resistant to turning to one side and the trainer has also tried various bits. His assistant is also an equine massage therapist and has checked her out. He is thinking that the horse may have a ramp or a point as there is some restriction when she moves her jaws sideways. They suggested I take her back to the dentist to make sure she was floated properly.

Have any of you ever had to return your horse to a dentist and should I be expecting to pay for another float, being it has been a little over a month? (I paid $207.00) This is a large facility and this particular vet has dentistry listed as a specialty and she seemed like she was being very thorough.

Any thoughts welcome.
Thanks

Sorry I meant March 1st was the date her teeth were floated.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yes. This has happened to me. Just suggest to the vet what the trainer says and I am sure he will give it another look. Very hard to get all the way back. Hope that is the solution to the problem.

 

[Cayuse]

Something similar happened to me but a different vet caught the problem plus some time had elapsed (6 months) so I ended up paying for two floats.
Pony had an old cheek fracture which caused his teeth to not meet, therefore they wore uneven. The first vet floated his teeth routinely (every 6 months) but the pony kept quidding. First vet said he had no reason to quid and I unfortunately believed them. In the interim I changed vets. When it was time to float pony again (routine) the new vet found a giant "hook" on his last molar that was growing towards the back of his throat and starting to press on his tongue. New vet fixed it and pony was 100% more comfortable.
Vet #1 did not use a speculum. Vet # 2 did and caught the problem.
I am not crazy about the use of dental speculums, but after seeing my pony's mouth and the giant hook he had, I have decided that they are necessary.
I guess the moral of the story is that.sometimes things get missed or overlooked.
I would think your vet should check it out as a courtesy and you would not have to pay for another full float since it has only been one month.

 

[Willow Flats]

Thank you for the replies! I was able to get an appointment for Wednesday afternoon. The good thing is that the massage therapist doesn't think it is an issue with the TMJs being locked up.

Will let you know how it turns out. I just got her new harness.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed at the technical information that is becoming available about horses. My dil, a barefoot farrier, told me about natural balance dentistry. I am always on a soapbox about horses' teeth, so I looked it up. http://www.neuromuscularhorsedentistry.com/equine-dentistry-faq.html
The equine dentist I use comments on the tmj, and so does the chiropractor. But I never really knew what all was affected by it.

 

[Willow Flats]

Marsha,
Thanks for the link! I have also been reading articles about how the teeth affect their balance, which I had never heard before. Kind of scary where it says effects could be permanent. I'm bringing her back in today.
The good thing is that she goes fine being worked in a dually halter with no issues so hoping it's just a ramp or point that needs fixing. Definitely something on the right side of her mouth with the bit and he is working her without the bit until this is resolved.

 

[Willow Flats]

Took her back to the vet yesterday and she checked both her mouth and TMJs and said there was nothing wrong. She then tested her neck to see how she was flexing. She was flexing normally to the left, but was extremely reluctant to flex to the right. She suspects it is muscular with her neck. I think it is easy to get a lot of mixed signals when they are in training, both getting used to the bit and using new muscles to balance. If teeth still seem to be part of the problem after her neck is addressed, I will bring her home and have my regular dentist have a look at her.

 

[Willow Flats]

I took her back to the vet yesterday and she checked both her mouth and her TMJ's and could not find any problems. Then she tested her neck to see how she was flexing. She flexed normally and willingly to the left but when asked to flex her neck to the right she was extremely reluctant, only going about only 50% of normal range of motion. The vet suspects it is a muscular issue and not her mouth. I think there is a lot going on when a horse is in training, both getting used to the bit and using new muscles to balance that you might get mixed messages. If after the neck is addressed there are still concerns for her mouth I'll bring her home and have my dentist here take a look.

 

[Willow Flats]

Sorry about the double message. I didn't see it post on my end so I rewrote it. Hope everyone is having a great day.

 

[Cayuse]

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear the teeth are in good shape.
Usually one side is more flexible than the other, they can be "right handed" or "left handed" just like us and exercise and strengthening will help. I bet you get her sorted out soon.

I have found with my two guys that if they are weak behind from being unconditioned they can be inflexible in the neck because their body has compensated in one part because of a weakness in another. Sort of like when my feet are killing me from my arthritis, I am sure to get a stiff neck .