Caps on teeth=painful?? Sorry a little long!

[kgj66]

I have recently purchased a new horse who was checked by previous owners dentist the week I bought her-he said she had a few caps on her teeth, he got a few off, and said there were some still there.
She has always been quite sensitive in mouth, but nothing major-just nods head a little until worked in properly and does not appreciate a heavy hand!

Anyhow-I had never heard of caps on teeth(I'm by no means inexperienced, and quite a few of older more experienced people in my yard had not heard of them before- but have done some research which hasnt resulted in many answers-hence asking here) so although the dentist said they might be contributing to the head shaking and fussiness in mouth are they painful?
Yesterday she threw her head up and ran backwards as I bridled her as if something was suddenly sore and was very very sensitive in her mouth when I rode her-I only hopped on for 2mins then realised something was wrong and got off! Could I had dislodged a cap when bridling-and this caused pain?

As she is new and 4yo I obviously dont want to ride if she is in pain, but on the other hand at times I wonder if she is just testing me as she went much better when I tried her out.

PS lunged her in side reins(not v.tight) today and apart from a few typical baby leaps in the air didn't seem bothered by contact.
Am going to get my own dentist out but can't come until after Xmas!

 

[TallulahBright]

I had the dentist out to my 3 and a half year old for the first time in the summer and while in her mouth he got four caps out, he said she would have been sore and she had been quidding food. She also had quite marked lumps under her lower jaw which he said are teeth waiting to come through and as he predicted the lumps are now evening out. I plan to get him out again before I get going properly in the spring just to make sure all is well in her mouth. Dentist's name Keith Evans and he was brilliant, very gentle and my girlie was good as gold.

 

[waterlily]

I've got a 4 year old and I had a similar thing last year.
The caps can be a bit painful as they come dislodged if they get caught, or if there is food getting trapped under them and starting to go off. My dentist said don't pull at them unless they are literally hanging-on-a-thread type of loose cos it might rip a bit of gum with it which would be worse, or if they are smelling from food collecting under them then try a wiggle and see if they come off but don't force it.
The main pain will be from the teeth pushing up through the gum, not the caps themselves.
I gave my horse last winter off when her teeth were seriously coming through (well, a combination of that and the weather!) but she was really quite bothered by them, I did the same as you got on one day then jumped off couple minutes later as she was obviously unhappy. I decided as she hadn't been backed long I didn't want her to associate riding/bridle on with being in pain so chucked her in the field for a couple of months.

 

[StarlightMagic]

My boys 4 1/2 now but last winter when he was teething he was already turned away, but felt a bit sorry for himself and had front teeth coming through, we had the vet out to see to his teeth and he took a cap off, but at no point did he seem reluctant to eat or get nippy etc. No problems through spring/summer/autumn with his mouth though, not 100% sure when different teeth come through though

 

[kgj66]

Thanks for the replies
She hasn't seemed in pain up until yesterday-but was ok today as I said.
I'm thinking maybe when I put her bridle on it maybe prematurely knocked a cap off-one of the teeth at the front of her mouth looks very small and slightly raw at the gum and although the bit wouldn't interfere there maybe she was just feeling sorry for herself and being an over sensitive moo!
Think I will see how she is tomorrow and go from there.

 

[Fairynuff]

here's a pic of Madams caps . She had all 4 removed in one go and her wolf teeth removed too. She had a local anaesthetic for the wolf teeth but nothing for the caps-the noise was awful as they came out but she didn't even flinch! She ate very carefully and slowly for a couple of days and that was that.