How often do you float your horse's teeth?

[SorrelGelding1]

I am just curious How often do you float your horse’s teeth? Do you take them to a vet or do you have an equine dentist float them? Does the vet/dentist use hand or electric tools? Please include your horse/s age, discipline, and breed

I float my QH horse’s teeth, once a year, in the spring. I’ve had him since he was two. He is now 5. He is used for a;; around western riding. I have an equine dentist float them. Currently, he uses hand held tools, but he has talked about getting certified to use power tools.

[SonnysMom]

I have mine done yearly. Hand float, equine dentist. My retired horse will likely skip this year. The dentist didn’t think we would need it as he very little that needed done. He is not having issues with eating and is quite fat.

[Simkie]

Depends on the horse. I have one that needs to be addressed every six months, so they’re all checked on that schedule. Depending on what the mouth looks like, they may go between 6 months-2 years between floats. I use a veterinary dental specialist–a vet whose focus is dentistry–as those people are legally permitted to use sedation and have the best education and experience in dentistry. They usually use power tools but have and use hand floats as the situation requires.

I’d much rather have a light power float on a regular schedule than an intensive hand float every few years. I also consider the use of a speculum imperative, and have seen some real messes in the back of the mouth with years of lay dental work, particularly if a speculum hasn’t been used.

I’d not even consider a power float in the hands of someone who’s not a vet, and really, I want someone who’s main game is dentistry. It’s a powerful tool and it’s not difficult to take off too much tooth. Is your lay dentist using sedation? That’s not legal anywhere…?

[Janet]

My vet checks the horse’s teeth when he does the spring and fall shots, and we decide which ones need their teeth floated. Varies from twice a year to once every 2-3 years.

[TMares]

Annually, power float by my vet.

[2DogsFarm]

Depends on the horse.
Of my 3:
*19yo Hackney Pony had his teeth done this Spring for the first time since I’ve had him - 10yrs.
Checked twice a year when vet does vax.
Former vet (retired his equine practice after 20+yrs ) did his own power floats in his clinic & got certified to do so through CEd.
New vet & her assistant did a powerfloat onsite.
Pony is largely decorative, I ground drive occasionally.
*16yo TWH had his done by my new vet at the same time as the pony.
He is my Dressage mount, non-competitive, lessons 2X month or less. I ride - in good weather - once or twice a week.
*5yo mini got checked, no work needed.
He is my Driving mini, we go out monthly with my Club. 10-15mi RT drives. Compete on occasion: County Fair, local shows & rarely an ADS CT or Pleasure show.

[Scribbler]

My horse has a good mouth. She gets floated once a year at the barn by the vet. He uses hand tools if she doesn’t need much done and power tools plus sedation if she does. Hand float is no sedation.

[INoMrEd]

I have my vet out once per year for fall vaccinations and fecal egg counts. I have their teeth checked and power floated if they need it then. In the Spring I do my own vaccines to try to save a few dollars.

[beau159]

Depends on the horse. Mine do fine with once a year, with sedation and power float with my vet.

[HungarianHippo]

My current two horses (19yo QH/Perch cross, 12 yo KWPN) have good teeth, so it’s an annual power float, under sedation, by my vet who is also certified in dentistry. My (now departed) old guy we did every 6 mos.

[Rerider54]

Vet check with shots twice a year… In the last three years done three times, power float with speculum and sedated by the vet.

adding on… TBxWB 13 y.o. Mare

[sascha]

Depends on the horse for frequency. I’ve had as infrequently as yearly and as frequently as 2-3 times a year.

Always vet at the horse’s residence. Always hand floats.

[RedHorses]

My first horse in his 20s was once every other year.

My second was annual.

My third horse was annual until about six years ago when I started having twice yearly touch ups. The vet always says he can wait, but he’s happier with a minor touch up and doesn’t need sedation for the hand float.

Youngest horse is annual hand float in the fall, and the vet usually says he could wait until spring.

The significant information is this:

Horse #1 a handful of grain when I went out, effectively no grain before I bought him.

Horse #2 regular grain throughout his life 1-4lbs per day.

Horse #3 almost no grain up until about seven years ago, then pretty regularly 4-6lbs per day.

Horse #4 very little grain - and it’s soaked pellets.

Why is that more significant than age, breed, discipline, dental professional, float method? Because horses use a smaller grinding circle motion with the lower jaw when chewing grain than when chewing long stem forage. This means they don’t get the same degree of coverage tooth to tooth and wear unevenly which in turn affects the grinding circle. I learned that from a magazine ages ago - someone had put marker dots on the horses, filmed them eating and analyzed the motion.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

I have always had my vet hand float without sedation (except for maybe three occasions) and they have always used a speculum.

[DiamondJubilee]

I get all of my ponies done before show season in the spring. All of our ponies are welsh x BRP and get ridden but main focus is driving. (ages from 2 -10)

I have my vet out to do them, so he sedates and uses a speclum. This is super important to me and I wouldnt have it done without sedation or a speclum. My vet specializes in dentistry and uses power tools (which he imported from France and is very proud of them!) and hand floats a little as well.

[secuono]

As needed.
I’m not going to wear their teeth down faster just for them to have an unnatural perfect mouth that others prefer. They aren’t supposed to be perfectly flat teeth.
They are on a hay only diet, no grain to cause unnatural wear on teeth. They don’t wear bits, not because I’m a bitless fanatic, but because it’s just not necessary for them and we don’t show.
My minis are 5 & 6 years, vet will check them tomorrow, they haven’t needed any work yet. One pulls a cart, other isn’t quite mentally ready.
My gelding needed two floats the other year because he somehow managed to crack a tooth. I knew he needed work by the incessant yawning he did. No other work from '11 until then, nor after. 13yrs, Corolla Banker, ridden & pulls cart, home/trail pleasure.
Little gelding got wolf teeth pulled, had a baby tooth issue, but vet recommended time instead of surgery, which would of resulted in lifelong6mo floating. Yikes. He hasn’t been floated before or since. 3yr, Corolla Banker, loafing around mostly, some ridden/cart training.
My project mare is getting her teeth floated tomorrow, since she’s started dropping feed like a colander. Thus, everyone else is being checked over, too. 14yrs, Nevada mustang, redoing saddle training.

[chestnutmarebeware]

@Janet

My vet checks the horse’s teeth when he does the spring and fall shots, and we decide which ones need their teeth floated. Varies from twice a year to once every 2-3 years.

This is exactly my method as well. I’m lucky that my girls only need to be done every few years, although now that they’re getting older, I’m sure they’ll need to be done more frequently. My vet does the work, and uses a power float.

[Amy3996]

I used to have my horse floated once annually. Equine dentist, hand float with speculum. Now that he’s pushing 20 and prone to choke, I have him checked every six months and floated as needed.

[Wyndwolfe]

I have had horses for 30+ years. Preferences and recommendations for floating teeth have changed over time. I was taught how to check for “points” by running my finger along the side and top of a horse’s teeth and have them floated if there were any sharp areas. The horses that I have had have been a mixture of TB, QH and a warmblood cross. Each has been floated based on their own schedule, but probably average every 2-3 years. I currently have a Paint (mostly QH) who is missing a lower molar, and he needs to be done more routinely so that the upper tooth does not get too long. I have always had a vet do the floating. Sometimes manually, but in recent years using a power float. My oldest horse is now pushing 31, and he still has good teeth.

[seabreeze]

One of mine needs floating every six months, so all three are checked on that schedule. Sometimes one of the other ones will need it, sometimes not. Two are pasture ornaments. One is used for pleasure and low-level dressage and eventing.

I use an equine dentist and he uses hand tools. He is excellent with the horses and does a great job. He comes highly recommended by my vet.

[Milocalwinnings]

Mine get checked every six months and floated as needed. Two of mine are on an 18 month schedule, and two are yearly or sooner it seems.