Baby teeth can have problems along the way that might affect the young horse's development and even set the stage for problems when the permanent teeth arrive. Neglect of equine baby teeth can have the same disastrous results as neglect of human teeth in a growing child. Without good teeth, a horse can't properly masticate its food. Debilitation, loss of energy, and poor physical health follow. Actually, a horse uses its teeth more than a human does.
Many humans eat three meals a day at spaced intervals.
By contrast, horses in the wild and on pasture might spend between 10 and 12 hours per day grazing. The same is true of horses in box stalls or paddocks on free-choice hay. They will eat only a little at a time, but they will eat often. We will employ Jack Easley, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP, of Shelbyville, Ky., as a guide in our discussion of equine baby teeth.