If your horse is not in a predominantly grazing environment, continuously feeding and browsing, his teeth may not wear down normally. Stabled horses eat on an unnaturally controlled schedule and their foodstuffs are softer than grasses. The less the natural feeding, the more unevenly the teeth wear. Proper tooth care of your horse includes routine dental observation and professional care when necessary. Yearlings may have to have their pre-molars "floated" to make sure their uppers and lowers fit together right. Wolf teeth (first premolars) ought to be removed before your horse is two years old. By age two and one-half any premolar or incisor caps should be removed and a program for regular professional examination and floating (usually by a veterinarian) should be established on probably a bi-yearly basis, dependent upon the health of your animal.

Check eruptions and remove retained caps and inspect your horse's mouth regularly. By four and one-half years all of the molars should have been regularly floated and any retained caps should have been removed. Eruptions should always be checked, especially canine eruptions in male horses; also, the third incisor should be checked for the presence of a retained cap. For five year olds and up a routine dental floating schedule should be set to maintain a healthy and balanced mouth. A good fitting bite and properly functioning teeth, coupled with good diet, ought to keep your horse chipper.