They say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth – but Prue Capp believes they just might live longer if you do.
The former New England Girls’ School student and University of New England Bachelor of Agribusiness graduate is developing a strong following as an equine dentist – a career path she never really contemplated.
“My mother is an oral health therapist and, having always been involved with horses, I knew the importance of them having healthy teeth. But I didn’t think I’d end up putting the two together,” she said.
Studying through the International Association of Equine Dentistry which included months of study in New Zealand, she started working full-time at the end of last year. Based near Gresford in the equine heartland of the Hunter Valley, she now visits Armidale at least every month to satisfy a growing clientele, including horses stabled at her old school’s equestrian centre.
With horse’s teeth continuing to grow well into maturity, the message for a healthier, longer life comes literally, straight from the horse’s mouth.
“Our teeth stop growing at a young age, but a horse’s teeth will continue to erupt throughout their lives, sometimes until the age of 23. Jaw alignment will generally wear down the teeth appropriately but, if misaligned, just a millimetre or two can make a big difference to teeth wearing rates and malocclusions,” she said.
“Having a horse that is skinny and not digesting its food properly, or having behavioural issues when riding is often indicative that something could be wrong with their teeth, and good dental health adds to life expectancy.”
Most of Ms Capp’s work involves filing (or ‘floating’) rims and malocclusions of teeth not worn down naturally.
“We’re not changing the shape of a horse’s mouth, just bringing it back to its genetic intention. A lot of common problems stem from that – being just slightly undershot will mean molars will have hooks on them, affecting their eating methods and performance,” she said.
Rather than looking inside a horse’s mouth, she said touch was the best way to determine if work was required. A type of brace called a mouth speculum prevents a horse from biting the hand that is trying to help it. Most of the time they are only uncomfortable if there is something going on back there that needs attention,” Ms Capp said.
“Having worked on horse studs in Australia and overseas, it is clear to me how important it is and it’s something I love.”
