I completely agree. I know with my mare she never had a mouth issue, was always great into the bridle…as soon as the grinding started I stopped working her and had the dentist out. Sure enough a tooth was dying, not totally dead yet but almost there. It wasn’t seen by the vet but the x rays told the true tale. As soon as her tooth was out she went to being even better than before.
I am a firm believer in listening to our horses. Grinding is a big - hey please listen - in my book.
Could be anything that causes discomfort, but I was just recently riding a young horse who started to grind his teeth at trot and canter. Started him on omeprazole and he stopped doing it, started moving much nicer too. Had no other symptoms except being a bit underweight.
I listen. He is NOT in pain. It IS a tension thing and a concentration thing. And no, not loud enough to be heard by anyone but me. Not really grinding teeth, more like chewing on bit. and @CanteringCarrot it’s not loud enough for anyone to hear but me. but yes it is an option for the judge. NEVER commented on by a judge in my case. And NEVER commented on by a judge I was scribing for, but then I have not seen real grinding in the arena.
Had the saddle fitter out for my mare today, and it looks like the saddle was the problem. The tree is now too tight for her; so, we get to go saddle shopping! 
I’m so glad we’ve found a possible cause for the teeth grinding.
This is a good lesson for all of us when we think “oh, it’ll go away if I ignore it.” I’m glad the OP investigated!
Any change in behavior which is a deviation from the norm is worth looking into until it is explained. Interestingly, my mare’s whole family grinds. Her daughter started grinding when she was getting bigger and my mare would push her away after she had enough of her nursing. All of them reduce their grinding under saddle as they learn about elastic contact, staying soft in their bodies, and having jaw mobility. In mentally challenging moments they may grind again, and as a rider it is felt easily by the brace in the body which accompanies it. We all know not to push our horses too hard because this is our sign they are confused. But it’s interesting to see the grinding go away as they develop.
Glad you were able to get to the root of the problem! Good job listening to your horse :). Best of luck with the saddle work.
How do you tell the difference between teeth grinding and a “lick and chew”?
Grinding sounds like a chirping, to me.
for sure teeth grinding has a distinctive sound the tooth grinder schoolie I rode years ago is a a squeaking “rink rink rink” almost like rubber on glass. I didnt hear or feel the bit move in the hand. He only did it on the flat, dont remember it during jumping
would love to hear from a dentist if there are any characteristic wear signs one sees.
IME teeth grinding is heard when new things are introduced. Sort of a tension indicator. I have found that as the new thing becomes “old hat” toothy grinding disappears.
I agree. My horse will sometimes grind his teeth under saddle and on the ground. It’s not a stress reaction. Sometime it is “I’m figuring this environment out” reaction when nothing changed in this environment. I’m very alert to Sir SpooksAlot stress reactions. When he first came, my vet was sure of bloody ulcers and he was aggressively treated for this. I had him endoscoped. Nope.
Figuring something new out is stressful, environment or otherwise. Whether or not it is a necessary stress is situational.
It’s still a stress response though.
Seeing as my mare had never done teeth grinding before (even during training stages that were undeniably more “stressful” than what we’ve been doing recently), I knew that something had changed in her growing body and that something wasn’t working for her anymore.
We found a new saddle yesterday, and that made the grinding almost entirely go away. I’d imagine that it will take a few days for the grinding to go away completely, but I feel we are on the right track. She is getting a massage next week, so hopefully that will help to remove any residual discomfort.
If the grinding is still there in a week or so, I’ll look into ulcers or changing her bit.
You may want to back off a bit on the training. At five, she’s still growing and what work may have been ok earlier is now uncomfortable and she’s letting you know. She could be hitting a growth spurt.
Back off a bit with fun easy stuff in short sessions and see if it improves.
I recently listened to a podcast where Klaus Balkenhol stated that our horses are so well bred now that is it easy to overdo it because the horse finds the work easy at first. Then we ask more and they let us know if different ways that they are struggling.
My vet feels that teeth grinding is a clear symptom of ulcers.
My horse is now 12 and will still grind his teeth when figuring something out under saddle or not. In the same area and ring for the last 7 years. Massages, saddle fitting, trainers helped but not the teeth grinding. That’s his sign that he’s working something out. He has alot to mentally work out because he spooks alot in the same arena. He’s floated 1/yr, would do more if my vet thought he needed more. I work with my vet closely.
ETA: almost no ulcers when he was young and a hyperactive mess.
Yeah, maybe have the vet out FIRST. It sounds like an issue with her teeth to me. If you hear hoofbeats, you should think horses, not zebras. Teeth grinding is often a stress response, but if she’s just started it and is progressing in her training, teeth issues is the first thing I’d rule out. YMMV
FWIW, my now 14 year old grinds with me on and off, seldom with my trainer. As I have gotten a better sense of proper contact it goes away, and more specifically, when he is moving through his back and confirmed forward, with him reaching into contact, it completely disappears. Psychologically, to me, it seems like he is worried and saying “I’m not sure what you are asking.” When I ride with intention it disappears.
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