Coblover63
Well-Known Member
I've had my 5.5yr old traditional cob since he was 11 months old. He's been having his teeth checked periodically, especially as he is still at an age when there has been a lot of dental changes going on in his mouth. I'm a bit of a fairweather rider so he's only been ridden (at walk) a couple of times over the last two months. He is in a 15-acre field with 9 others and they have only been coming in overnight since about Christmas time as there was still enough grass to sustain them all. I'd been bringing them in daily for a fibre-feed and they only stopped banging their stables doors to be back out and paying a little more attention to their hay about 4 weeks ago.
Anyway, I was schmoozing with my boy yesterday and decided to have a look at his teeth. I was shocked to discover that his two front teeth form a curve and don't touch the bottom teeth. I've had a look at some photos of dental issues and he seems to have a form of "dorsal curvature", with his top teeth curving, but his bottom front teeth are still dead straight across so there is a gap of approximately half a cm at the worst point! I found this photo on Google and have drawn a red line to show how his bottom teeth are, if you can imagine it, although it isn't as extreme as the photo, but still very noticeable. I checked our 14yo's teeth and his are dead straight. And our 2.5yo is just changing his front teeth anyway so he's no use at all for comparison!!
I'm worried that he hasn't got a very effective "bite" at the moment... although he is getting through two haynets a night and holding his weight well. But I have noticed that he's got a bit nibbly with me in the past few weeks, although I don't hand-feed him treats because he was hand-fed a lot as a foal before I got him and I had prolonged nipping issues with him when he was younger. I've been using small-holed nets (he's a typical good doer!) but I am now going to swap his nets to bigger holes, in case they have caused this. I will be contacting an EDT for advice/an appointment, but I just wondered if anyone else had experience of this in such a young horse? He didn't have this issue when he had his baby teeth....
Thank you
Anyway, I was schmoozing with my boy yesterday and decided to have a look at his teeth. I was shocked to discover that his two front teeth form a curve and don't touch the bottom teeth. I've had a look at some photos of dental issues and he seems to have a form of "dorsal curvature", with his top teeth curving, but his bottom front teeth are still dead straight across so there is a gap of approximately half a cm at the worst point! I found this photo on Google and have drawn a red line to show how his bottom teeth are, if you can imagine it, although it isn't as extreme as the photo, but still very noticeable. I checked our 14yo's teeth and his are dead straight. And our 2.5yo is just changing his front teeth anyway so he's no use at all for comparison!!
I'm worried that he hasn't got a very effective "bite" at the moment... although he is getting through two haynets a night and holding his weight well. But I have noticed that he's got a bit nibbly with me in the past few weeks, although I don't hand-feed him treats because he was hand-fed a lot as a foal before I got him and I had prolonged nipping issues with him when he was younger. I've been using small-holed nets (he's a typical good doer!) but I am now going to swap his nets to bigger holes, in case they have caused this. I will be contacting an EDT for advice/an appointment, but I just wondered if anyone else had experience of this in such a young horse? He didn't have this issue when he had his baby teeth....
Thank you