Biting horse

["Advantage Saddles" <owensall@sierratel.com>]

Dear Jen and Ridecampers;

(Remember Jen's story about the horse that savaged people and turned out he was in pain?)

I just wanted to tell you what a difference your story about Chance made to me and my horse, Sanshra.

He bit.  He did it from the time I got him, used to do it savagely, but I was always quicker than he was.  I figured it was just a bad habit.

Your story moved me.  I have re-told it many times.  It always gave me chills.

I started looking at my little biter differently.  I watched him...he was always annoyed.  Seemed that he would try to be sweet, and then something would cross his eyes, an expression, and then he'd try to bite.  Could he be in pain, too?

He's fat.  I attributed it to just the availability of rations after years of near-starvation.  Then I started wondering if there was mouth pain, and perhaps he NEEDED to fill his mouth with something...anything...to keep the pain away?   The longer I pondered this, the more certain I became. 

I asked my vet.  She didn't think there was a problem, he was only 6, and fat as a couch.  However, she did tell me that there were some equine dentists that visit Mariposa a couple times a year.

I called there.  Yes, they were coming next week, and there were openings.  Why did I think there was a problem?  Was he thin?  Well, it is expensive, but if I wanted to make an appointement...

I did.  I took him there on a hot, humid afternoon last week.  I watched these guys work on a couple of horses, explaining to the owners(and me) what they were doing.  Fascinating.  They pulled a front molar out of an old, skinny throrobred....it was diseased, and also the longest tooth in his mouth.  They re-planed his teeth surfaces, and made it so he could chew his food.  They were interesting and very informative. Also had great sense of humor!

Sanshra's turn.  I was asked yet again, why was HE here? He bites.  I think he's in pain.  But he's fat...likely the biting is just a behavioral problem....  Could you just look?  I need to follow this gut feeling.

I was right. The poor horse had some awful problems.  Worst was a sharp dagger of a point in the back of a rear tooth, protruded down between two lower teeth into the lower gum!  Everytime his mouth was empty, it poked.  OW!  He also had some other points in the way back, as well as a bridle tooth that was sharp and cut his tongue and another bridle tooth that was causing him teething pain...pushing against the gum but not breaking thru. 

They took off the points, removed the one bridle tooth, opened the gum for the other to come thru.  Re-planed the whole mouth.  Worked on that little guy, one dentist after another(there were three) for an hour and a half. 

It's been a week. Sanshra no longer gets that look in his eye.  He hasn't bitten since.  He loves to have his face scratched, and be petted.  His eyes are soft.  My daughter can ride him now, he is no longer in pain.  The dentist said this had probably been coming on for four years.   I can only wince to think...what if I had not read Jen's story...what if I had never understood his pain...what might have happened with him. 

So, Jen, thanks again for your story of Chance.  You made a difference.

Katee