Teeth can also wear incorrectly. Often that happens when horses are kept inside and fed grain. The sharp points can irritate the horse's mouth, causing a host of problems from oral ulcers to tooth loss and irreversible dental damage. To understand the way dental problems in horses are rooted in what the horse eats, compare how you chew lettuce with how you chew nuts. The chewing motion for each of those foods is different.
Sharp edges can cut into a horse's cheek and be quite painful.
Often a horse with an area of discomfort will feel just like you do with a canker sore. He may not take a bit easily, may be hard to turn in one direction, may chew only on one side, or may lose weight because it hurts to eat. To gain the most nutrition out of what they eat, a horse's teeth must work efficiently to grind and crush the food. Any irregularities of wear, abnormal eruptions, or periodontal disease can affect how efficiently horses digest what they eat. While good body condition does not automatically equal good teeth, good teeth will mean a more efficient horse.