Oh, the strange terms you learn as you delve deeper into caring for horses...We were excited to experience a rather drowsy (for Miss Cheyenne) version of this common practice called 'teeth floating' or 'floating the teeth' that this Quarter Horse mare was not very happy to endure. This method, with it's crazy apparatus and 'calming drugs' further prepared and enlightened us to the many perplexities of the 'modern' veterinary practice.
As she drowsily let her giant tongue flop out of her mouth we felt bad for her, but the way she ate after the procedure assured us of the benefit. Domestic horses tend to wear away more of the interior and top of their teeth which causes a 'ridge' effect on the outsides of their teeth inhibiting the natural movement of the jaw and causing pain while eating. A vet will sand down those 'ridges' with what we can call a giant Dremel tool (in this case), or file, and level them out again. Horses in the wild, with a diet of high fiber herbs, branches and generally much tougher than lush grass living, wear it down themselves, we've also learned they gnaw on rocks for the minerals and teeth wear benefits. This experience is definitely eye-opening and leads us to more study on natural diet variation and quality of life considerations for any horse....
Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? Job 39:19