Regular dentistry is essential for every horse, at every stage of its life, whether in top competition or out in the pasture.Signs of dental problems can vary from physical problems such as improper chewing to behavioural problems or poor performance.

Behaviour problems are often signs of physical pain and discomfort. If your horse starts to act out of character it is essential that the teeth and mouth are checked by either a vet or an EDT (Equine Dental Technician). Problems in the mouth can over time affect the rest of the body. An imbalanced mouth can put stress upon the TMJ (temporomandibular joint). The ability to move the jaw properly; side to side, up and down, forward and back, affects not only the ability to chew and digest food, but also affects the body’s balance and biomechanics. Proper function of the TMJ is vital to horse health.

Equine dental and tooth facts that may or may not already know:

• Feeding from a raised source such as hay nets or raised buckets tends to result in hooks and ramps occurring on the horse’s teeth. The reason for this is that the horse’s jaw is designed to come into alignment whilst the head is at ground level. When feeding from a raised source the lower jaw has to slide back a little and this postural change means the teeth are no longer in the correct alignment.
• Horses that are ear shy might have problems with their teeth, it is certainly worth being eliminated as possible cause.
• Every 2mm that the dentist removes shortens the life of the tooth by 1 year! Horses’ teeth only grow for a specific length or time. The teeth are formed inside the jawbone until the horse is approximately 7 years of age. After that the formed tooth is pushed up through the gum for around 12 – 14 years following eruption.

For more information on how the different elements of the 'Circle of Influence' have an affect on horses, please go the Articles section of this website.

Hoof care is one of the most important aspects of your horse’s well-being, but is often one area which is overlooked in preference to other essential aspects such as feeding, saddle, riding etc. NO FOOT NO HORSE! You can provide your horse with the best nutrition, stable or field, best saddle, best trainer, the list is endless, but if your horse has deformed hooves which do not function as nature intended, it will not be long until your horse starts to have issues of some kind or other. These issues do not always seem to be foot related, but often this is where it starts. Give your horse a solid foundation from the hooves up.

• Without a balanced hoof the horse will not achieve, or be able to maintain, a balanced body.
• Without a balanced hoof the horse will not achieve balance in movement.
• Without a balanced hoof the work, or achieved result, of any equine-body worker will not last.

Over time I will be adding information about keeping horses barefoot, including trimming styles and hoof boot reviews

For more information on how the different elements of the 'Circle of Influence' have an affect on horses, please go the Articles section of this website.

This is a huge subject in its own right, but just to touch on it briefly here; they way the horse is trained and ridden has a huge impact on his health and well-being.

I think all too often riders are in a hurry to get their horse ready for competition. Often this is the case with young horses, which have not yet finished developing physically or emotionally. Being pushed beyond their capabilities often results in breakdown.

For more information on how the different elements of the circle of influence have an affect on horses, please go the Articles section of this website.

It is crucial that horses are fed a diet appropriate to their type and workload. Feeding horses has become a vast subject with all sorts of opinions and information.

I think what we must remember is, that the horse has evolved to live on fibre from vegetation and to ensure correct function; the gut needs a constant supply of forage. In order to satisfy both physical and emotional needs, the horse needs to be continually on the move in order to find this forage.

I think as long as we can provide a management system which gives this in the most part, and a diet which is as natural as possible, we should be able to avoid some of the more common problems.

For a more in-depth look at nutrition, along with more information on how the different elements of the 'Circle of Influence' have an affect on horses, please go the Articles section of this website.

A relationship means the connection between two things. We have many relationships within our lives, but the relationship you have with your horse is like no other. Researchers call it the “human-animal bond” a special connection providing acceptance, non-judgement and companionship between human and animal.

It is essential to build a connection based on love, trust and understanding. Building a solid partnership with your horse is not always easy. We have innate differences, they being prey animals and we being more predatory in our actions. We need to build rapport with our horse and nurture it. Some horses are very shut down and we need to find a way in. This can often be achieved by simply hanging out with them instead of always making some sort of demand. Our interaction with horses whether it is competitive or just for fun, needs to always put trust, confidence and the dignity of the horse first.

It is not about the ………, it is about the relationship! You can fill in the blank with whatever you like, be it trailer, jump, puddle, paste wormer etc etc. How many horses have you seen forced to do things, forced to endure the wish of the handler/rider to get the job done? Each time a horse is forced or made to do something connection is lost, you become two opposing forces wading into battle. Ask yourself, how many times have you done this to your horse? How often do you witness this type of interaction between other people and their horses?

A good partnership will form a solid foundation to build upon. Often riders want to compete in their chosen discipline. However they are in such a rush that they don’t spend the time building a solid foundation and relationship before starting to compete. They choose to use the competitions as a means for developing the horse, whereas actually the competitions put a lot of pressure on horses, mentally, emotionally and physically and some handle this better than others. I like to look at it like this; competing is the icing on the cake, but you need a solid cake in order to support all the icing. The cake needs to be made of quality ingredients, in the right quantities and blended together with care and knowledge. Sometimes the preparation of the cake can look a little messy and some cakes take longer to prepare than others. But once formed the icing glides on easily and the finished cake looks beautiful.

Putting the relationship first is all about living in the moment with your horse. Working with them where they are at in their development and not pushing them beyond their emotional or physical capabilities. We all have goals, aspirations and purpose for these are often behind the reasons why we choose the type of horse we have.