Why horses' teeth cause such particular signs
A horse's cheek teeth erupt slowly throughout its life to replace what grinding wears away, and they wear against each other in a sideways chewing sweep. Anything that disturbs that system — sharp enamel points forming along the edges, hooks at the front or back of the rows, a loose or fractured tooth, gaps that trap rotting food, or simply the uneven wear of old age — makes chewing both inefficient and painful. Unlike a dog, a horse cannot switch to soft convenience food on its own, and it cannot tell you its mouth hurts. So dental disease announces itself through the consequences of bad chewing: food handled badly, condition lost, and behaviour changes that owners often blame on temperament until the mouth is finally looked at. Any horse can be affected, but seniors, whose teeth may be worn smooth, loose or missing altogether, are the group that slides downhill fastest.
The feeding-time clues
The bucket and the haynet are where most dental problems surface first. Quidding is the classic sign: the horse drops damp, cigar-shaped balls of half-chewed hay or grass because chewing has become painful or mechanically awkward, and you find them scattered around the feeding area. Watch how he eats — slowly, with the head held tilted to one side, feed dribbling from one corner of the mouth, or long fibres of hay left behind while the short feed disappears. Bad breath from a horse is never normal and usually means food is packing and decaying somewhere it should not. Follow the feed through: whole grains or long, poorly chewed fibre visible in the droppings means the grinding stage is failing before digestion even begins. And weigh him with your eyes honestly: a horse losing condition on a ration that used to hold him, with no other change in work or health, is a mouth asking to be examined.
The ridden and handled clues
Not every sign happens at feed time. A horse with sharp points cutting his cheeks often objects to pressure: he resists the bit, tosses or tilts his head under saddle, leans on one rein, or becomes fussy having his headcollar or bridle fitted. One-sided nasal discharge, facial swelling, or a head-shy horse who was previously easy around the head can all point towards tooth roots and sinuses rather than behaviour. Repeated episodes of choke belong on this list too, because a horse who cannot chew feed into a proper bolus is a horse more likely to swallow something that sticks. None of these signs proves a dental problem on its own — backs, bits and training all produce look-alikes — which is precisely why the answer is a proper oral examination rather than a guess from the saddle.
Getting the mouth checked, and managing what is found
A vet or a qualified equine dental technician should examine the mouth with a gag and a light at least once a year, and more often for older horses or any horse showing the signs above; weight loss, quidding, a choke episode or a one-sided nasal discharge should move that appointment from routine to prompt. Between visits, feeding can support a compromised mouth — soaked feeds and mashes instead of long dry forage for a horse who cannot chew fibre, smaller meals given more often, and water always within reach to wash feed down. Those feeding instructions should be passed on plainly to anyone who feeds him, so no well-meaning helper turns up with a bucket of dry mix. His profile, separately, is open to relatives you choose under KinsLe Family Sharing.