Are Drugs And Machines Necessary To Float Horse Teeth? - The Horse's Advocate Podcast #185

Since 1983, I have seen horse dentistry shift from hand-floating, done without medication or machines, to a mechanical approach using sedation and motorized tools to remove sharp enamel edges. My main argument is that these newer procedures are not proven to achieve better outcomes, yet are often promoted based on arbitrary goals. As a result, horse owners may become confused or exposed to unnecessary techniques that may not benefit their horses. Listeners may react strongly to this podcast because horse dentistry divides opinion. My central point is simple: horses should receive dental care, regardless of the technique. Yet debates over various methods overshadow the real issue: many horses get no dental care at all. It's like missing the main purpose of a journey by arguing about driving style, while the real problem is not picking up the passenger. If horses in rural areas lack access to dental care—whether due to a lack of practitioners or restrictive laws—they continue to suffer. My focus is to explain why I use my methods and to emphasize that it is better for horses to receive reasonable dental care, by any method, than none at all. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:32 - My equine dentistry training and personal beliefs. 2:15 - The history of equine dentistry is obscure and non-memorable. 5:44 - The horse's threshold of pain and their ability to express themselves without sedation. 8:02 - The purpose of medicating horses for dentistry. 11:12 - All areas of every tooth can be addressed with hand floats once the anatomy and position of the teeth within the horse's mouth are learned. 13:12 - The three lies often given to say why hand floating is less effective than power floating with sedation. 14:24 - Horsemanship reasons for not using drugs and power equipment to float horses. 16:25 - Practical reasons for not using drugs and power equipment to float horses. 17:44 - Scientific reasons for not using drugs and power equipment to float horses. 18:25 - Conclusions about floating horses and the method used. ******************************* #horses #veterinary #horseteeth #horsecare #equinedentistry Join us at The Horses Advocate Community page: https://community.thehorsesadvocate.com/yt Dentistry: https://theequinepractice.com/ Horsemanship Dentistry School: https://www.horsemanshipdentistryschool.com/c/information/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHorsesAdvocate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horsesadvocate/ Geoff Tucker is a veterinarian and horseman who has worked with horses since 1973, earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1984. Geoff went from mucking stalls as a farmhand to starting his own equine practice. He advocates for the horse by educating horse owners through his vast experience, with an emphasis on dentistry, horsemanship, nutrition, and more.