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Discussion on Teeth Grinding

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Holly Z.
Member
Username: Cowgrl

Post Number: 52
Registered: 3-2004

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004 - 12:44 pm:

My husband has an 11 year old Appy gelding that is a nice boy in every way except he grinds his teeth. It's usually when he's displeased about something as it's always accompanied by pinned ears. He's never offered to bite or kick so I think it's a scare tactic. For instance, feeding time is the worst or pretty much when any human is around. Yesterday I was cleaning my other horses stall and the appy was grinding away which really gets on my nerves.

The horses are confined to sacrifice paddocks for the time being so I'm sure part of it is boredom. I'm pretty sure he doesn't do it when no one is around so I don't think hanging a toy would do any good.

Any ideas on how to get him to stop? I'm thinking by the time he's 20 he won't have any teeth left. Thanks.

Holly

Sandra Ross
Member
Username: Sross

Post Number: 92
Registered: 9-2002

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004 - 1:51 pm:

Here's an interesting thing that I read yesterday in the February 2004 Dressage Today.

Lisa Wilcox & Ernst Hoyos:
The old masters used to say that a horse grinding his teeth was concentrating. The sound is only bad for human ears. Be more concerned about the tongue.

I've never heard that before!
In your situation, the teeth grinding combined with the pinned ears, I wonder what your guy is "concentrating" on.

Holly Z.
Member
Username: Cowgrl

Post Number: 87
Registered: 3-2004

Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 1:09 pm:

I think he was concentrating on letting me know he wanted to be fed. ha ha.

Holly

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