What would you do?

[katie_southwest]

Just thought I would ask peoples opinions..
On friday the osteo came out to check horses over and said my mare needed her teeth looked at, but I cant for the life of me think what she said was wrong with them. Just something about her jaw being stiff on one side?
I want to ride this week as iv got the week off work but now am reluctant to until I get dentist out. She didnt say not to ride her..in fact she just said dont ride her that day as she had poked and prodded around a bit etc..
My mare doesnt show any signs of pain..she head tosses sometimes when I ask her to stop but I had put that down to being impatient..now I wonder if it is because she is in pain. would you carry on riding or wait until dentist had been??
thank you sorry this ended up long

 

[kimky]

personally i would not ride her in hard work where you may be on her mouth a lot, i spose there is no hard in getting the dentist out better safe than sorry lol good luck it could also mean that she just uses one side of her mouth than the other, thats why it may be stiff ect...

 

[katie_southwest]

Yeah iv been paranoid now watching her eat seeing how she chews! It wouldnt be hard work just a mosey round the moors that would be ok wouldnt it?

 

[debradley]

Hi my mare has less movement on one side of her jaw than the other, but lovely teeth. It just means that she finds it a bit harder to work on the contact on one rein.

 

[katie_southwest]

Yeah I mean if she thought it was anything bad she would of said not to ride wouldnt she. Think I am just being a paranoid mummy

 

[debradley]

I should think you'd be ok to ride. If it was anything really bad I'd say you'd get a bad reaction from your horse; but if she's suggested getting the dentist out then it would probably be worth it. It was my dentist that identified my mares stiffness on one side of the jaw, but she has never shown any major reaction to it and isn't uncomfortable or in pain from it. Just cover all angles and get it checked out.