The Real Reason Why Horse Teeth Need To Be Filed (Floated), by Geoff Tucker, DVM.

The Horse's Advocate Podcast Episode 179: "The Real Reason Why Horse Teeth Need To Be Filed (Floated)" By Geoff Tucker, DVM. Filing off sharp edges inside a horse's mouth may seem a bit odd at first glance. If nature is perfect, you might wonder, why would horse teeth need this help? How did horses get by without floating, the process that smooths those sharp edges? These are thoughtful questions, and I explore them—and more—in this podcast. Some of the ideas I present are: It is the threshold of pain, not how sharp the edges are, that determines how often to float. -Not all tooth enamel is the same among horses. -If a horse is chewing, their teeth need doing. -Using a bit moves the soft tissue into the sharp edges. -Waiting until a problem occurs often results in more aggressive treatments and a poorer outcome. #horses #veterinary #horseteeth #horsecare #equinedentistry Join us at The Horses Advocate Community page: https://community.thehorsesadvocate.c... Dentistry: https://theequinepractice.com/ Horsemanship Dentistry School: https://www.horsemanshipdentistryscho... Facebook:   / thehorsesadvocate   Instagram:   / horsesadvocate   Geoff Tucker is a veterinarian and horseman who has worked with horses since 1973. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1984. Over the years, Geoff went from mucking stalls as a farmhand to starting his own equine practice. This journey helped him learn how to blend medical care with good horsemanship. Geoff believes in doing what is best for the horse and also in working with the horse. While at Cornell, he started the Cornell Student Horseman’s Association, which organized talks with local experts, a knowledge competition called the Intercollegiate Horse Bowl, and Foal Watch at the Equine Research Park to help with live foal deliveries. Wanting to educate horse owners even more, Geoff also launched the first “I Love New York Horse Symposium,” which drew 500 people from across the northeast. Geoff also worked at the Equine Isolation Lab alongside respected colleagues, including Dr. Coggins, whose name is on the well-known test. He worked both part-time and full-time at Cornell's Equine Research Park. On graduation day in 1984, while his classmates celebrated, Geoff drove his fully stocked vet truck to his first call—a sick foal. This marked the beginning of The Finger Lakes Equine Practice, which still operates today. Geoff sold the practice in 1996, worked for a short time at another clinic near Albany, NY, and then started The Equine Practice, focusing on equine dentistry. He continues this work from his base in South Florida. Geoff worked on his first horse’s teeth in 1983, when his mentor showed him how to place his hand inside a horse's mouth without medication and rasp off the offending sharp points. He was hooked from the start and made dentistry a key part of his practice. Since then, he has examined the mouths of over 84,000 horses across the United States - yes, he’s been counting.