Texas - Oklahoma - Louisiana
Equine Dentistry

Dr. J.D. Norris of Equine Dentistry writes a monthly column in Cowboy Times magazine. Here is the January 2009  column:

Now is the season we begin preparing broodmares for breeding.  We are doing their annual vaccinations, deworming and getting their coggins tests ready, some are put under lights.  We make sure their nutrition is balanced.  We’re doing all the right things to help ensure a successful breeding.  But what about their teeth?

 

Normally a broodmare has proven herself earlier in life.  So when she is considered for breeding she is older.  We may have had a good dental routine when she was performing, but what about after that?  The older a horse gets, the more their dental needs change.  The teeth literally begin to wear out.

 

The mouth and teeth are the beginning of the digestive system.  The condition of the teeth has a direct relationship with the horses ability to utilize the nutrition she receives.  It doesn’t take much to chew and digest pellets.  But since the horse is primarily a forage animal, the health of a horse is directly related to the quality of the roughage she receives and how well she is able to grind and absorb the nutrients.  You can see how important dental care is for a broodmare.

 

But there is another important relationship that teeth have with reproduction.  There will be a direct affect on ovulation and conception if the mouth is not balanced.  You would have to understand the energy concept as taught in Chinese medicine.  You don’t have to know this …………. Just have regular dental care and keep the mouth balanced especially the TMJ (temporal mandibular joint).

 

Dr. JD Norris

 

 

Questons??  Call, write or e-mail questions to  JDNorris@Neto .com, 903-348-5828, or take a look at WWW.Horsedentalcare.com

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