Floating, or filing down sharp edges (hooks), is a regular part of standard domesticated horse care and dental checks should be done at least once a year. Good dental health helps to prevent many problems for the horse, including weight loss, abscesses, and other health issues. Why is this, though? What did horses do before humans domesticated them? What about wild horses? Zebras?! Most of the answers lie right on the ground.

Wild horses and other equids eat a 100% forage-based diet with a variety of textures and abrasiveness. They graze almost exclusively head-down (the way they are physically built to do). The same is not true for domesticated or captive horses. Stabled horses, horses fed from hanging feed bags, and horses fed primarily commercial feed do not have that same access. To a lesser degree, even some pastured horses lack the variety of textures and abrasives common for their wild cousins. These differences play a large part in tooth wear. Stable-kept horses have a much higher incidence of abnormal dental wear than horses on pasture and most domesticated horses eat lower abrasion diets.

While more study is needed on the differences between wild and domesticated dental differences, we do know this much: good quality forage, ground-level feeding, and good preventative care and treatment is crucial to helping your horses’ pearly whites in good condition which in turn helps to keep them healthy!