Regular dental examination and treatment is essential for every horse whether it is a retired paddock pet or a successful competition or racing animal.

GVH offers a high level of skill together with modern dentistry equipment. 
Dental treatments, performed at least once a year, are recommended to prevent painful conditions of the mouth. There is no doubt that infrequent or inadequate dental care results in conditions that adversely affects health and performance. Regular dental treatment ensures that your horse can chew its food efficiently and adequately to maintain its body condition.

At GVH, we have Veterinarians with post graduate training in Equine Dentistry and you can be assured that they are kept well abreast of continual developments in the field.

All dentistry is performed under sedation with the horses head elevated using a veterinary only power float. Specially designed lights illuminate the patient’s mouth enabling visual dentistry – we look, diagnose and treat appropriately. We prefer to use our purpose built crush at the clinic to provide a controlled and safe working environment, however we also provide a mobile dental service. Every horse is provided with a complete dental record to assist with future dental work ups.  

The performance powerfloat is suitable and recommended for all horses, including competition, racing and pleasure horses, as well as brood mares and geriatric patients. 



Floating your horse’s teeth regularly will keep them pain free whilst being ridden. This will improve your horse’s performance, both under saddle and on the ground. 

Occasionally a tooth may require extraction. We have a full range of equipment to facilitate intra-oral extractions in the standing sedated horse. Simple extractions can be performed in the field, however more complicated cases may require treatment at our purpose built facility.

A well maintained mouth will cost much less to feed, and can prevent the onset of painful conditions (which often lead to bad behaviour such as head tossing, lugging, rearing, bit chewing, rough transitions etc)

Some symptoms that can alert you to dental problems in your horse are:

• loss of feed from the mouth while eating
• slowness of eating
• head tossing with or without contact
• difficulty chewing or excess salivation
• loss of weight or body condition
• large, undigested food particles in manure
• head tilting or tossing
• bit chewing, tongue lolling, fighting the bit
• resisting the bridle
• bucking or failing to stop or turn
• running through the bit
• hesitation to turn, difficult transitions
• foul odour from mouth or nostrils
• traces of blood in mouth
• nasal discharge
• swelling of face
• tooth grinding

It is important to note that some horses might show no noticeable signs because they simply adapt to their discomfort. 

This is why it is important to have an annual dental checkup with your vet.