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Whats floating to do with horses teeth2007-11-24 21:22:36

People get there horses teeth done and they say its floating what is it.

Answers:

Hey PonyPal!

Floating, as mentioned, is the process of smoothing the sharp points off a horse's teeth. Simple enough answer, except, like you asked, what has it to do with floating? =-)

It's called Floating because the type of tool used is a flat rasp called a float! The float and the rasp (which is pointy)are hundreds of years old, and originally were used in woodworking. The float was used to smooth a surface, almost like it was 'floating' over the surface.

Even today, tools take their name from this medieval tool! The big noisy chair thing that a guy rides in to smooth wet cement? A cement float! =-)

So, there you have it, =-)

Later,

C

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Horses chew w/ a rotating motion. Moving only the bottom jaw. So eventually they get a angle on their teeth w/ sharp edges on the outside of the molars. You just file that down. Also they have caps on there teeth as they grow. You have to help those along sometimes by loosening them up, to get them off. Once you do all this the horse is more comfortable with the bit because he's not biting on the sides of his cheaks. They also need their wolf teeth removed, if they don't come out naturally.

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"Floating" is just a fancy term for filing the sharp points off a horse's teeth. Horses' teeth continue to grow throughout the animals' lives, and as they grind and chew their coarse food, and wear down the teeth, these points, or "hooks" form and can become very sharp, making eating painful and difficult for them. Regular floating is very important!

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Hi, horses' teeth grow continuously until some time between the ages of 25 and 30. Grass, their natural food, contains silica which is an abrasive and which constantly wears down the horse's teeth. The fibers of heavier grasses require a bit of grinding on the part of the horse. Additionally the horse reaches down to bite off grass and then raises his head to chew which changes his jaw position constantly. A horse living on natural grass will be more likely to naturally polish off the surfaces of his molars into a level. Thus the horse's dental apparatus is pretty well adapted to his natural diet.