Just spoke to an EDT

Morrigan_Lady

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www.teamterrellshowjumping.co.uk
And it looks like Im going to have a real job finding a dentist who DOESNT use an electric rasp
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I know technology has moved on and he explained that a hand rasp wont do as good a job as the electric rasp, but I just cant afford to keep having my horses sedated for routine stuff! (like clipping etc) He's going to do them manually, but said that the job wont be as good as if he used an electric rasp. What a nightmare. Bring back good old hand rasping!
 
I have literally just got off phone to vet about buying some seadlin from them for the upcoming clip (vets order clip)

Can you do the same for the dentist and buy some sedalin ready for the electric rasping?

NB If the work has been done correctly once then surely a hand rasp can be used in future? My lad's teeth were in a complete state when I bought him, so required a major session with the EDT at the vets and from now on needs seeing every 6 months to be done with hand rasp - any longer and would prob need an electric one again
 
My Dad is an EDT and he routinely uses an electric rasp- it's a very low power rasp designed to be used unsedated and makes less noise that your average pair of clippers. Most horses seem to prefer it by far to hand floats as it requires much less force to use, has a smoother action, is less likely to cause soft tissue damage and takes less time.

Sometimes a horse doesn't take to it, but they're usually the ones that are almost impossible to do with hand floats as well, and he always tries the electric rasp 1st- it's just a nicer option for the horse.
 
That's interesting. How did your EDT approach your horse with it?

Dad usually starts with a bit of inhand work getting them to move backwards and forwards and does all the regular checks, then puts the speculum on. He normally opens and closes it a few times then to make sure that the horse knows that the feeling will go away and that their jaw isn't stuck like that. Then he'll start the motor on the rasp and have that going for a minute, getting the horse used to the noise first- just taking it step by step really.

Honestly it's incredibly rare that he can't do them with the power rasp once he gets started.

In some cases when they're really bad he'll get the vet in to sedate 1st time, just so that they experience it and realise that it's not that bad. He can normally go back then 6 or 9 months later and do them unsedated.
 
Whereabouts are you based? I've never come across anyone using a power rasp as standard so it seems odd that wherever you're based you can't find some-one reputable who uses a hand rasp.
 
Whereabouts are you? We have a very old school dentist in Yorks who I don't think even knows about electricity. He is very good with horses and only has normal rasps, and rarely uses a brace on their teeth or anything (don't know if its called a brace - the thing they use to keep their mouths open) he just pulls their tongue out to the side. This is a guy called Ken Holmes (and his assistant Moira)

Having said that, we are considering giving a different EDT a go, as we have 2 in their mid twenties and have heard that electric rasps are better on oldies teeth
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Try Anthony Jones. He travels all over the country, and does the teath with a hand held rasp.

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Do you have a phone number for him?

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will PM you.
 
Most of it is down to personal preference/skill on the EDTs part. There are some who routinely use power tools and in the right skilled hands they can be very efficient. There is always a worry with using them unsedated but by the same account you do have to be careful with hand tools too.

Most EDTs should offer the choice of either power or hand tools and work with each horse as an individual.
 
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the EDT we use doesn't use an electric rasp - he's oldshool ! We have been using him for our horses for 35 years.

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Where abouts you? (pleeeeae be near me!)

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I'm in Cheshire
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I use power on about 90% of the horses that I do, alesa is right when she says most prefer it, far less tugging, doesnt take as long, less soft tissue damage, leaves a far nice surface and allows you to make necessary reductions to dominant teeth where this would not be possible with hand rasps.

However, I still have my full bucket of 10 hand rasps and use them when horses dont like the noise or the yard doesnt have electricity (usually the latter!)

But can hand on heart say ive not come accross a horse who prefers hand rasping, in fact in most instances some wont let me hand rasp but will let me use power.

I know I rant on about this all the time but it is impt to make sure the EDT is qualified who uses power as a matter of routine as power in the wrong hands is a big no no! I solely used hand rasps for 4 years before I was qualified and used power for vet accompanied sedated cases only
 
power tools are ok but you cant do a good a job on unsedated as you can with hand floats in myn and many others opinions.i only use power tools for remedial work as routine floating should be just that routine so easily done with floats...once used and the mouth corrected as someone pointed out it should be a simple enough job to keep on top of.teeth errupt at roughly 2 to 3 mils per year so taking amount of turn out ect ect the horse is given if done every 6mnths once sorted should be no real need to use power tools.many many top dentists have tried to fully finish a horse using just power tools and still find it hard to get the right finish so revert back to hand floats.im not talking just any dentists either.only this week i was with a very high level beva dentist who stated just that.......but at the end of the day you pays ya money and takes ya chance!!!!!

chris
 
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But can hand on heart say ive not come accross a horse who prefers hand rasping, in fact in most instances some wont let me hand rasp but will let me use power.



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We have never had a power rasp used on our horses, but can say that they all seem to lean into the hand rasp when the dentist is there - I think they really enjoy it. And if you think its even better for them withn a hand rasp, then thats all good really!
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