This past week we had the vet out to float Lou Dillon's teeth. Unlike human teeth, horses' teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime. In the wild, horses are constantly eating, and that wears them down evenly. Unfortunately, in captive situations, such as keeping horses in stalls or dry paddocks, even though the horses get enough food to keep their weight up (or even get fat!), they don't eat long enough to adequately wear their teeth. Their teeth will get wavy, or their teeth can get … [Read more...]
UPDATE: Popcorn
We've had Popcorn a few weeks now, and he is doing very well! We put him in a stall next to Quixote, but he began weaving a lot, so we put him into a larger paddock... where he still weaves a lot. Popcorn is in love with Devon, who lives next door, and he will weave even when Devon is standing right next to him. Weaving is when a horse moves his weight from one leg to the other, often moving his head from side-to-side. It stems from boredom and isolation; horses who do not get out of their … [Read more...]
Teeth Floating (and more)- Part I
Every year Hanaeleh's horses get their teeth floated, or filed down, by an equine veterinarian. Even though our horses are fed between three to five times per day, they still don't wear their teeth the same way they would in the wild, and need to have waves and sharp edges filed down before they become bigger issues. Hanaeleh is dedicated to providing exemplary care for all of our horses, and we ensure that our horses have their teeth checked and floated once a year. This year our volunteers … [Read more...]