Step by step: Position the mouth gate correctly

"Annika Holdinghausen & PD Dr habil. Astrid Bienert-Zeit"

Safe for horse and examiner: in

The long horse skull with the short oral fissure does not make examination of the oral cavity easy. The molars can only be fully examined if the horse has been fitted with a mouth gate beforehand. Annika Holdinghausen gives you important tips with the help of step-by-step instructions.

If the mouth guard does not fit properly, the incisors can slip and cause injury to the horse and the examiner. To prevent this, various points must be observed. The horse must be sedated deeply enough for the mouth gate to be inserted so that it can accept it without any problems.

Fig. 1 | As the incisors rest on the plates of the mouth gate and pressure is created when opening, it is important to check them before insertion. The lips are opened for this purpose. The incisors must not be loose or severely inflamed, as this will cause the horse to react violently in defence.

Fig. 2 | The horse's halter is removed. The neck strap of the mouth flap is adjusted wide and placed behind the horse's ears. The pads are in front of the incisors.

Fig. 3 | The horse's mouth is opened (as for inserting the snaffle bit) and the incisors are placed on the rests. Hold the mouthpiece in the desired position with one hand and tighten the neck strap with the other.

Fig. 4 | The position of the mouth gates is checked: The neck strap must lie directly behind the ears. The incisors must be fully positioned on the pads and must not slip backwards, otherwise the gate is not buckled tight enough. However, the incisors should not have any contact with the metal labially (towards the lips), as this is unpleasant for the horse and can lead to defence reactions. The mouth gate is now opened bit by bit until it is easy to examine the molars. Maximum opening should only be maintained for a short time, as this puts a lot of strain on the jaw joints and muscles.

Short and sweet

The mouth gate is an important tool for examining the horse's posterior oral cavity. It should be used in compliance with the points mentioned and only on a sedated horse.

All images © Annika Holdinghausen

Author

Annika Holdinghausen

Veterinarian in the Internship Programme, Pferdeklinik Burg Müggenhausen GmbH

Author

PD Dr habil. Astrid Bienert-Zeit

FTE for horses Additional qualification in equine dentistry Dipl. EVDC