To bit or not to bit.... Check out that Smile

I have been around horses a very long time and seen and heard a lot of theories on when to start your horse with the bit, Either riding or driving. I can go into long discussions about frame and bone growth and joint closure, but that will be a whole other post. This post is just about the teeth.

I'm not a dentist, but I believe strongly in equine dental care. I hire an actual equine dentist to take care of my horses teeth and not just the regular vet. Just because they say they can float teeth, doesn't mean that they are current on the dental procedures, or that they have the experience. Not to say there are not Vets out there that are not fantastic at teeth. But I was conned one time by a local vet that said that they would be able to float my horses teeth and it cost me 3 times more than it should have. Their price was not high, but they did such a bad job that those horses lost weight, consumed/wasted more feed, needed extra supplementation to maintain themselves AND I had to get the real dentist in to redo the crappy job that was done the first time. So lesson 1 know what a good job is, and make sure it's done right the first time.

So back to our trusted future riding or driving partner. Some industries hop on their horse in their yearling year. That is their choice but at 1 year old they have a full set of baby/milk teeth in their mouth. They also may have grown wolf teeth, which may or may not irritate them when bitted.  Not to mention they are gangly and have a ton more growing to do. So some industries wait till the horse is 2 years old. Well there are A LOT of changes going on in a horses mouth from at 2-5yo. They systematically loose all their baby teeth and grow in their adult teeth. Their caps should be checked to make sure they are coming off correctly and all sharp points should be addressed.

Here are some photos of some very stunning 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 year olds before they got their teeth done. Several caps were pulled on both horses are now more comfortable. But could you imagine having a bit in your mouth trying to behave and accept the bit with these teeth.




With so much going on in their mouth from 2-5, why would that be the most optimum time to put a bit in their mouth and ask them to do things quietly and to teach them to be comfortable with their bit???? Well not all horses are uncomfortable or have odd things going on, but it's guaranteed that they will be loosing teeth, shifting their dental structure for those 3 years. So be considerate in your bit choice. Be kind with your hands. And more importantly get the dentist to have a look and make sure that their teeth are growing in properly, caps are coming off as they should and that they are ready for the bit.