Hop in the truck and hitch up the trailer cause it’s time to go to the vet! I joined Penny and Rosemary on their trip to the vet recently! I enjoy going to the vet as I always learn something new and my horses get the medical care they need. Penny simply got a check up. Winter is a hard time for a horse with respiratory issues, and Penny has been coughing and filled with mucus so far this winter. It was nice to get to talk with the vet about her health and to know how she is doing. She is doing good for a horse with her health problems. As it’s winter, we increased her medicine dosage to help her breath easier in the frigid weather. I have been giving her some hay to munch on recently so she’s not bored during the day. The dry particles in the hay have not been helping her breathing, so my veterinarian recommended getting the hay wet before I give it to her. It’s important that I don’t soak the hay though as that would rid it of its nutrients. A light hosing before feeding time will do just fine!
Rosemary’s turn was next. I led her into the clinic, excited to watch as she got her teeth floated. I have had Rosemary for less than a year now, and she had never been to the vet before in her life! She really needed her teeth floated. While working with this Haflinger in training, she did not like her bit all that much and often “bobbed” her head in apparent displeasure. I figured that this unbroken 10 year old pony was just stubborn and not used to her bit yet. Weeks later the problem persisted. She took the bit easily and didn’t mind it in her mouth when she was stationary, but turning was a problem. During these last training sessions she would not turn to the right at all. This is a problem with team driving as Jasmine turns just fine to that side, but due to Rosemary’s defiance neither horse would turn right. Going up to examine Rosemary’s bit, I saw some blood trickle from the right side of her mouth. It was just a drop, but it was enough. I stopped our training session and scheduled a vet appointment. I had been told beforehand that Rosemary’s bit denial might have stemmed from her teeth needing floating.
As a horse eats grass, their jaw moves in a circular motion. This motion often wears down a horse’s teeth; however, the outermost part of the horse’s teeth, closest to their cheek, is too far a way to be reached by the horse’s jaw and grinded down. Instead these areas of the teeth become sharp and poke the horse in the check whenever they eat. Pastured horses do not need their teeth floated as often as grain-fed equines do. Chewing grass requires a larger range of motion for the horse’s jaw, while grain feed is easier for a horse to chew requiring a smaller range of motion and meaning that even bigger areas of the teeth are not worn down, but sharpened. Rosemary’s teeth were in this condition and the bit in her mouth was putting even more pressure against her sharp teeth causing them to rub against the inside of her cheek. Horses may not have words, but they still talk to us. This situation reminded me of a similar trip to the vet last March. I wrote these words:
“Valuable lesson: Horse’s can’t talk. When my horse is in pain he can’t just tell me what’s going on. This reminded me that as a horse owner, I must always be alert and looking for problems. Problems won’t always be there, but it’s important to notice them when they are. Which is why it’s essential for equestrians to know how their horse acts on a good day, so they can tell when something isn’t right.”
~A Trip to the Vet
Rosemary’s displeasure with her bit was her way of letting me know she was experiencing some pain. Not all of Rosemary’s turning problems were caused by her teeth, and they haven’t just disappeared. But I can train her knowing she isn’t in any pain and with a good understanding of what’s going on.
In all, our trip to the vet went well. I was remined, that as a horse owner, I have to be alert to all that my horses are telling, even though they can’t talk!
Tails & trails,
Reese