racehorses and wolf teeth

H_J

H_J

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 March 2009
Messages
495
Location
Sunny South East!
Visit site
Ive been told by someone that as a general rule racehorses have there wolf teeth removed as early as poss whether there is a problem or not, is this true??
 
not in my boys case! he's 3 and when the vet checked him last week his wolf teeth hadn't come through and he suggested if he got 'gobby' in the contact in the next 6 months then that would indicate they had come through and to get them removed.

From my experience of exracers they will have had the minimum amount of work done on them ie shoes, teeth to keeps costs down
frown.gif
 
Having just had the dentist to my lot, I would agree wuth Chloe, all work is kept to a minimum, mine has certainly never met a rasp and is going to have to be sedated!!
 
it's swings and roundabouts isn't it MM coz I find even though they haven't had the highest level of maintenance they have seen so much at such an early age they are pretty well advanced in that respect compared to other horses, that's what I like about exracers the fact that they have been there and seen it and aren't green as grass when it comes to the world
 
From my experience (OH is an equine vet in a racehorse practice) if a racehorse has wolf teeth then the majority of trainers will have them removed whether they are causing a problem or not.
 
Dragon what sort of age does your OH normally take them out?...

My chap is 3 and a half and they haven't come through yet but the vet thought they would make an appearence in the next 6 months
 
Anything from yearlings to older horses, most will have their teeth looked at every 6 months.

Some horses never get them so this may be the case for your boy.
 
I can honestly say that most of the racers we get in, from yearlings to six yo's for pre training/ re starting/ rest & rehab/ remedial starting stall work have had minimal to zero dentistry work done.

I'm certain though that IF the horse had seen the dentist, they would have been taken out if they'd been there, to prevent the possibility of a problem..... it's just that most don't see the dentist IME
 
All the trainers I've had anything to do with use a dentist. Some horses get sedated every time they are seen others are fine without. If there are wolf teeth, they are taken out, hopefully before the become an issue.
 
All the trainers Ive met/worked with use a dentist regularly (once the horse is backed/broken) and all remove wolf teeth as a precautionary measure. This ranges from small pt2pt/NH yards to some of the biggest flat yards in Europe. Was your horse a flat or NH horse chloe?
 
Depends on the trainer, from what I can see. It does tend to be one extreme or the other though - either everything that comes in has its wolf teeth out or they go by the "if it ain't broke . . " school and possibly don't even think "teeth" if the horse is giving them good reason to think there's a problem. You really can't generalise. I've had horses come from one trainer with wolf teeth and then have them out as a matter of course at the next.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top