Many unhappy, possibly spooky, one sided, intermittently lame horses have TMJ (temporomandibular joint) distress. The biomechanics of the TMJ are directly related to a horse’s posture, balance, rhythm, and general well being. The jaw joint is grossly overlooked by horsemen, veterinarians, and even equine dentists.  It is the closest joint in the body to the brain and brain stem and is flooded with proprioceptors that tell the body where it is in space.

Many dental practitioners are far too focused on smoothing up those molar tables without even considering how their work affects the TMJ. Now with the advent of SO many new power instruments on the market it is easy to get over aggressive with the floating.

Even though horses do have continually erupting teeth, there is only so much tooth that can erupt over a year’s time and that amount diminishes significantly as horses age. We see horses in our practice daily that have been overfloated in the molars to the extent that their table angles have been flattened and even sometimes reversed.  These table angles are necessary for proper guidance to the jaw joint. It also leaves the horse riding on his incisors (front teeth) with little or NO molar contact. These horses go into TMJ Myofascial pain syndrome trying to clench the muscles that close the jaw in an effort to get their molars back in contact.

Continue reading A Comfortable Jaw = A Happy Horse →

Many horses have problems in the way they metabolize carbohydrates and sugars.  When these horses exhibit clinical signs, they may be diagnosed as Insulin Resistant (IR) or having Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).

It is important to know that the various sources of energy from feeds are digested and metabolized differently.  The three main sources of energy for horses are carbohydrates (starch), fats, and proteins.  There are many commercially prepared high fat, low starch diets now available for these horses.  Managing pasture turn out and grazing is also of vital importance.  Grazing muzzles can save these horses lives!

A way to identify horses with possible metabolic problems is to evaluate their overall appearance. Most of these horses will have abnormal fatty deposits along their neck (cresty) and at the base of the tail.   Many geldings will also have increased fat deposits around their sheath.   A long hair coat, low energy levels, recurring muscle, tendon, and/or ligament injuries, abscesses and laminitis are other good indicators of metabolic disorders. Blood tests are indicated to determine which disorder(s) is present.  Research indicates that an overweight horse is more likely to become insulin resistant.

Continue reading Oh, Those Sweet Calories………! →