Open Wide and Say "Aaaahhh"

Kevin was here yesterday, along with our vet. It was time for the horses annual vaccinations, and dental check-up.

This procedure always looks a little worse than it is... the big speculum that keeps the mouth open enough for Kevin to work looks a bit medieval.

When you see how far back in the horse's mouth those back molars are, however, it becomes obvious that a little assistance is needed to reach them!

This seems to be our week for posting pictures of skulls -- this is "T.J.", who rides around in the back of Kevin's truck, next to all his dental equipment. T.J.'s job is to let people learn about the construction of the horse's jaw, the location of the teeth, the importance of dental care (T.J. didn't do well in that department, but if she couldn't be a good example, she can still do an excellent job as a warning to others!) The pink tongue is made from styrofoam, and it allows you to see the beautifully engineered gap between the horse's front incisors and the back molars -- this is the space where the bit rests in the horse's mouth, and this gap (which cows and camels lack) is one of the reasons we can communicate so closely with the horse through the reins. That space allows a well-fitted bit to rest comfortably in the horse's mouth -- something we, with no similar convenient gaps in our own jaws, would find very uncomfy indeed.