We lose track of time so easily. Day to day and even the once a year occurrence. It’s so easy to lose track of when you had your last dental appointment. How about your horse? I’ve made a promise to myself to schedule my horse’s dental exam every year around tax time. Not because I owe taxes, but because I get a refund. I will be able to pay to have 3 horses taken care of on the same appointment. This way I won’t have to face the guilt of being neglectful of my horses’ teeth.
I started to notice my TB dropping grain and realized it had been quite some time between floats. I realized by the time they start dropping grain, their teeth are a “hot mess.” The equine dentist told me this. Finding an equine dentist isn’t the easiest thing to do, but after you find one you like, stick with them. It will take some time to get things back in working order. Hopefully not as long as it took to throw them out of working order. First of all, the upper jaw is naturally wider than the lower jaw, the teeth will wear unevenly, leaving sharp edges, ridges or hooks against the cheek and tongue. This can also affect the way your horse takes the bit and their ability to collect. I’m happy my horses were tolerant of my oversight.
Getting back to the refund, and this year being a “hot mess,” I have additional money taken out of my payroll to allow for a refund. I know most people will say it’s not a good idea, but my refund has gotten me many big-ticket items I would otherwise be making payments for many years to come. I look at it as a no-interest loan to the United States of America. Then I get it all back and more. The more you put in the more you get back. It’s forced, can’t get to it, banks aren’t paying good interest anyway and it’s returned once a year. So, every April I’m going to schedule my horse’s dental appointment and be able to pay for it.
