|
|
Member
Posts: 41
| Have any of you done this before? Had one bad floating experience and some lukewarm ones, so I'm wondering if I might be able to do it myself with some study/training (I wouldn't be able to do one of the several week courses, though). I'm not talking about removing teeth or correction work or anything -- just taking the rough edges off routinely. Thanks. |
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
  
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Floating is a very serious thing, I would never ever try something like that myself, you can cause so much damage if you dont get the angles right, and more serious damage if you take to much off. |
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Is this for real? |
|
| |
|
  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. |  |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 865
| That's just plain poor judgement. It's a serious procedure that should be left to a professional. I won't let anyone other than a veterinarian work on my horses teeth. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | I know a few people that will take off a sharp edge.... But they do that as a temp fix until they can get a professional in to deal with the real problem
Edited by komet. 2015-04-27 7:59 PM
|
|
| |
|
Miss Not Exciting
Posts: 3279
Location: Ft Worth TX | Our vet is teaching my husband how to float- ITS NOT as easy as it looks. Its also more of a feel then anything. He has partially floated a few now and getting better but NOWHERE NEAR ready to do a set on his own.... |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 372
| Whoop Z Day Z - 2015-04-27 8:59 PM
Our vet is teaching my husband how to float- ITS NOT as easy as it looks. Its also more of a feel then anything. He has partially floated a few now and getting better but NOWHERE NEAR ready to do a set on his own....
Sounds a little irresponsible of your vet.
|
|
| |
|
 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Omg...wow.....just wowMI dont say that to often and i have typed it twice today |
|
| |
|
Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| Several years ago my equine dentist let me work on one. I decided that wasn't for me. |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | arion - 2015-04-27 10:08 PM Whoop Z Day Z - 2015-04-27 8:59 PM Our vet is teaching my husband how to float- ITS NOT as easy as it looks. Its also more of a feel then anything. He has partially floated a few now and getting better but NOWHERE NEAR ready to do a set on his own.... Sounds a little irresponsible of your vet.
im sorry but i agree.. all it takes is a wrong angle and the horse can get issues.. tmj among things.. why would you risk that. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Leave it to the professionals! Teeth are a serious part of your horse! |
|
| |
|
A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Bibliafarm - 2015-04-27 10:01 PM arion - 2015-04-27 10:08 PM Whoop Z Day Z - 2015-04-27 8:59 PM Our vet is teaching my husband how to float- ITS NOT as easy as it looks. Its also more of a feel then anything. He has partially floated a few now and getting better but NOWHERE NEAR ready to do a set on his own.... Sounds a little irresponsible of your vet.
I agree, I would think that the Vet would have told him what school to look into to learn how to float. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 5290
| My grandfather used to float all my horses teeth. I will tell you this , just because they are a vet doesn't mean they can float or are better at it. |
|
| |
|
Location: Texas | 123barrelracer - 2015-04-27 7:29 PM Have any of you done this before? Had one bad floating experience and some lukewarm ones, so I'm wondering if I might be able to do it myself with some study/training (I wouldn't be able to do one of the several week courses, though). I'm not talking about removing teeth or correction work or anything -- just taking the rough edges off routinely. Thanks.
I can't say that I have ever floated my horses teeth... Then again I also don't shoe my horses, because I'm not a farrier, nor do I adjust my horses, because I'm not a chiropractor. 
Why would you attempt or even consider doing it yourself? How many YouTube videos do you have to watch to convince yourself you have more knowledge and experience than a licensed professional?
My mind is blown.
|
|
| |
|
Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| FLITASTIC - 2015-04-27 11:26 PM
My grandfather used to float all my horses teeth. I will tell you this , just because they are a vet doesn't mean they can float or are better at it.
While I believe this 100%, I also would never attempt to do my own. I will say I have seen some pretty POOR float jobs done by vets and also some pretty good ones done by certified people who aren't vets. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 113
| Growing up we had a guy that lived down the road float our horses' teeth. Back then we only did it when they needed it (as I do now but that is a whole nother subject) He did a great job, was self taught, and had really great knack for it. Some people are just GOOD at things. Just because someone is "trained" doesn't mean they have the talent and feel for a job. Hence many poor jobs being done because people do it for money and don't really have the skill.
Back in the day people could do for themselves, I think too many people rely on other's to do jobs for them. Get your hands dirty, expand your mind and try to do things for yourself. If you have no real ability for something that is one thing, but don't tell this person he/she is insane for asking this question. My husband is a self taught farrier and he is amazing. We've toyed with the idea of him learning to do teeth also but haven't had the need yet. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | Wow…. you're asking for trouble. Your poor horses… :( |
|
| |
|
 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5408
| At the first Ed Wright clinic I went to he made the coment that everyone should be able to do a simple float, like taking off a sharp edge. I did a little on my own horse when I worked at the vets and I'm here to tell you it is hard work. |
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| So I know for one thing...most of my horses over the years have had to be sedated to some degree to have dental work done. I think it would be terribly irresponsible of a vet to provide you with those drugs knowing what you're going to do and knowing you don't have the experience level. That also being said, we had one last year who's been sedated many many times in his life have a bad reaction to it and about kill himself beating his head on the wall. It was not pretty. I will not sedate a horse without vet instruction and not heavily without them present.
I do my best to seek out certified equine dentists to do my horses teeth. If they happen to be a vet, cool, if they aren't, that's fine too. I've had some REALLY bad floats from just your average doc and I've always been pleased with the work the dentists I've used have done. It's something so important to everything else that I'm fine paying a little more, and usually it's not a lot more. |
|
| |
|
 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I highly do not recommend doing it. Whoever you choose, vet or lay person, there's a ton of schooling involved. I have had several hands on labs on dentistry and I've only got to pick up a float once so far... Most of the time we have been studying the anatomy of the horse's jaw, looking at pathology in the mouth, and discussing what the cause is and how to fix it.. there's SO MUCH MORE than picking up the float and filing down teeth. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| I agree. Let the professionals do it. I use a certified equine dentist. I do not use my vets. My dentist does a much more detailed job the vets do. I have our horse's teeth done every six months. It makes a big difference. I will always pay my equine dentist and horse shoer. LOL! Two jobs that they make look easy, but they really aren't that easy. |
|
| |
|
 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas |  |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 5290
| While I do agree that professionals are probably best to handle this, I am surprised at how harsh some of you have been on the subject. I need to read origional post again in case I missed something but the poster was just asking for advice on floating their own horse's teeth. I really didn't feel it was worthy of " Wow, just wow" or these emoticons. I castrate all my own stud colts, dogs, and cats I have ever had. Is that a " Wow" moment to?
Yea Just read the origional post. Just asking if they could take some rough edges off, if it was possible. Certainly not wanting to start an equine dentistry practice or something. lol
Edited by FLITASTIC 2015-04-28 8:47 AM
|
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 113
| FLITASTIC - 2015-04-28 8:45 AM
While I do agree that professionals are probably best to handle this, I am surprised at how harsh some of you have been on the subject. I need to read origional post again in case I missed something but the poster was just asking for advice on floating their own horse's teeth. I really didn't feel it was worthy of " Wow, just wow" or these emoticons. I castrate all my own stud colts, dogs, and cats I have ever had. Is that a " Wow" moment to?
Yea Just read the origional post. Just asking if they could take some rough edges off, if it was possible. Certainly not wanting to start an equine dentistry practice or something. lol
 |
|
| |
|
 Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | After several horrible experiences with several farriers over the years, my husband learned how to shoe and is doing all my horses. HUGE relief for me. However, horses feet need done way more often then teeth and in my opinion are easier to correct.
Under normal corcumstances, teeth need done once a year. I think its worth paying a professional. Where are you located? Lets see if we can help you find a good one. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 146
| Since this is the first and only post by the OP I thinking "Troll". People who luv to post threads that will stir the pot. |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | MeepMeep - 2015-04-28 9:50 AM FLITASTIC - 2015-04-28 8:45 AM While I do agree that professionals are probably best to handle this, I am surprised at how harsh some of you have been on the subject. I need to read origional post again in case I missed something but the poster was just asking for advice on floating their own horse's teeth. I really didn't feel it was worthy of " Wow, just wow" or these emoticons. I castrate all my own stud colts, dogs, and cats I have ever had. Is that a " Wow" moment to? Yea Just read the origional post. Just asking if they could take some rough edges off, if it was possible. Certainly not wanting to start an equine dentistry practice or something. lol
Because In my opinion that should be left to a professional.. . she asked for advice we gave ours.. not being harsh just truthful was all it was.. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 113
| 4Horse - 2015-04-28 9:50 AM
Since this is the first and only post by the OP I thinking "Troll". People who luv to post threads that will stir the pot.
Highly doubt they are a troll. Sounds like a legit question to me. If they don't come back on here I really don't blame them with some of these comments.... |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 5290
| Bibliafarm - 2015-04-28 7:51 AM
MeepMeep - 2015-04-28 9:50 AM FLITASTIC - 2015-04-28 8:45 AM While I do agree that professionals are probably best to handle this, I am surprised at how harsh some of you have been on the subject. I need to read origional post again in case I missed something but the poster was just asking for advice on floating their own horse's teeth. I really didn't feel it was worthy of " Wow, just wow" or these emoticons. I castrate all my own stud colts, dogs, and cats I have ever had. Is that a " Wow" moment to? Yea Just read the origional post. Just asking if they could take some rough edges off, if it was possible. Certainly not wanting to start an equine dentistry practice or something. lol
Its one thing to GIVE AN OPINION and its another to degrade someone by " Rolling eyes at them" or saying " Wow, just wow" which offers little to no helpful advice, just makes someone feel degraded and stupid for asking. THose that gave good advice I am not referring to them. Only the ones who asked if the original person was serious, rolled eyes, "Wow, just wow", OMG, etc. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 5290
| Southtxponygirl - 2015-04-27 5:38 PM
Floating is a very serious thing, I would never ever try something like that myself, you can cause so much damage if you dont get the angles right, and more serious damage if you take to much off.
This for example is good advice.... |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 5290
| mruggles - 2015-04-27 7:37 PM
Omg...wow.....just wowMI dont say that to often and i have typed it twice today
THis was a rude comment...... |
|
| |
|
 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Geesh. You guys. Lol. So quick to cannon ball straight down someones throat.
I wish I could do my own horses teeth. I had a neighbor knock down a sharpy on an old gelding we had once. The only local person here who does large animal work is a young vet, who misdiagnosed a bowed tendon. Told me to throw a mare in a stall for 8 months or so, then call her. That took all of 2 minutes of her time and $275 out of my pocket. Due to circumstances, I opted out of rehabbing her. Gave her away. They messaged me 2 months later saying she was sound and being brought back into shape. I don't trust our vets. And aside from that, it's over $300 a horse for a float. |
|
| |
|
Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| ~BINGO~ - 2015-04-28 10:41 AM Geesh. You guys. Lol. So quick to cannon ball straight down someones throat.
I wish I could do my own horses teeth. I had a neighbor knock down a sharpy on an old gelding we had once. The only local person here who does large animal work is a young vet, who misdiagnosed a bowed tendon. Told me to throw a mare in a stall for 8 months or so, then call her. That took all of 2 minutes of her time and $275 out of my pocket. Due to circumstances, I opted out of rehabbing her. Gave her away. They messaged me 2 months later saying she was sound and being brought back into shape. I don't trust our vets. And aside from that, it's over $300 a horse for a float.
$300 to float??? Wow, my vet charges $125 with sedation |
|
| |
|
A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | FLITASTIC - 2015-04-28 10:30 AM Southtxponygirl - 2015-04-27 5:38 PM Floating is a very serious thing, I would never ever try something like that myself, you can cause so much damage if you dont get the angles right, and more serious damage if you take to much off. This for example is good advice....
Thanks,, Floating is something I dont take to lightly. I worry about the angles when I get my horses done. |
|
| |
|
Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | My vet charges $45, and I don't have to pay for sedation LOL |
|
| |
|
Location: on a hill | Theres nothing wrong with wanting to float your own horses teeth as long as your taught correctly. The "pros" didnt wake up "pros". They learned from school and experience. Might be a good career choice if theres a need in your area. |
|
| |
|
Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | rodeomom3 - 2015-04-28 9:02 AM ~BINGO~ - 2015-04-28 10:41 AM Geesh. You guys. Lol. So quick to cannon ball straight down someones throat.
I wish I could do my own horses teeth. I had a neighbor knock down a sharpy on an old gelding we had once. The only local person here who does large animal work is a young vet, who misdiagnosed a bowed tendon. Told me to throw a mare in a stall for 8 months or so, then call her. That took all of 2 minutes of her time and $275 out of my pocket. Due to circumstances, I opted out of rehabbing her. Gave her away. They messaged me 2 months later saying she was sound and being brought back into shape. I don't trust our vets. And aside from that, it's over $300 a horse for a float. $300 to float??? Wow, my vet charges $125 with sedation
It's quite awful. And to have 4 horses at $300 a pop. LOL. Not gonna happen. There's a guy that comes up from the Phoenix area, twice a year I believe. He does it for $150. So we try to get on his schedule. But it's usually full. |
|
| |
|
Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
| TROLLLLLLLLLLLLL |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | I understand.. |
|
| |
|
 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I agree, y'all are over reacting. I understand the concern, but geezus jump down her throat why don't you? I think it would be neat to learn what to look for and how to relieve temporary pain. |
|
| |
|
 Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | MeepMeep - 2015-04-28 8:50 AM FLITASTIC - 2015-04-28 8:45 AM While I do agree that professionals are probably best to handle this, I am surprised at how harsh some of you have been on the subject. I need to read origional post again in case I missed something but the poster was just asking for advice on floating their own horse's teeth. I really didn't feel it was worthy of " Wow, just wow" or these emoticons. I castrate all my own stud colts, dogs, and cats I have ever had. Is that a " Wow" moment to? Yea Just read the origional post. Just asking if they could take some rough edges off, if it was possible. Certainly not wanting to start an equine dentistry practice or something. lol
^^^^ Agreed......All I am going to say is WOW....oh..... WOW........my husband has done our horses for over 40+ years with NO serious problems.......and he shod all of our horses too...... |
|
| |
|
 A very grounded girl
Posts: 5052
Location: Moving soon..... | I don't think anyone was harsh, but giving an opinion, which was asked for. With that being said, would you go to have your teeth worked on by anyone but a licensed dentist? |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Next time we all need to say good luck.... sure try it.
if you do it Id get some help.. and also thats why they have training and vets etc... to do them but it can cause damage that can take months to correct.. . |
|
| |
|
 Thread Killer
Posts: 7543
| Is it REALLY that hard to tell the difference between an honest, straight to the point opinion and needless snark? Yes, apparently it is. "TROOLLLL" "LOL WOOOW" "IS THIS FOR REAL?" Yes, indeed, how helpful and wise!
I'm pretty sure we all agree that leaving dental work to the pros is the best option. No one is defending the desire to have a DIY floating session. People are simply calling others out on the usual bullspit. COME ON. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 30
| I agree you should get a professional to do teeth. But as the daughter of a vet, I do get frustrated with blanket statements that "vets don't do as good job/or detailed job" as an equine dentist. Just like anything else there are some that are better than others. A vet has had many years of school/training in medicine and anatomy. Depending on their focus, some are better dentists. |
|
| |
|
You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | hlc84 - 2015-04-28 1:51 PM
I agree you should get a professional to do teeth. But as the daughter of a vet, I do get frustrated with blanket statements that "vets don't do as good job/or detailed job" as an equine dentist. Just like anything else there are some that are better than others. A vet has had many years of school/training in medicine and anatomy. Depending on their focus, some are better dentists.
I'm in vet school and it bothers me a lot too. It's like, don't forget I'm on the boards people.. I'm working really really hard to be the best I can be and then I read posts about how vet dentists aren't as good. Don't assume I won't do as good of a job as a dentist because I'm a vet and someone had a bad experience with a vet once.
We have learned a lot over the years and have many advances in dentistry. I guarantee you I will do the best job I can and I spend over $30,000 a year to learn this stuff.
Nothing against the lay person dentist.. but don't lump me in a group of people who won't be good at something when you don't know how much work I put into to get my degree just so I can be an EQUINE VET. And dentistry is a big deal, a lot can go wrong, a lot can be over looked.. I'm busting my butt to be able to do that as part of my profession.. don't count me out. |
|
| |
|
 Veteran
Posts: 287
| My dad trained for 40 years or so for the public. I remember him doing teeth on whatever horse needed them done. Shoed all of them hisself as well.
He didn't graduate 8th grade lol, so no vet school either. He had horses from all over the west coast come in for training so clearly he never killed one with his "untrained" dentistry. These weren't backyard sh!tters either. I remember getting horses in owned by syndicates back in the 80's
I agree wholeheartedly with the person that said we rely to much on other people to do work we might be able to do ourselves. Jmo |
|
| |
|
Location: Texas | Bibliafarm - 2015-04-28 12:10 PM
Next time we all need to say good luck.... sure try it.
if you do it Id get some help.. and also thats why they have training and vets etc... to do them but it can cause damage that can take months to correct.. .
 |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 422
Location: Fort Bragg North Carolina | There are some rude ppl out there. At least you are attempting to care for your horses there are so many whol would let their horses become a bag a bones instead of floating. I would only do my own floating IF I could work beside a vet or someone with ALOT of experience. My farrier floats mine and he's never went to school. some ppl want to cut cost to afford the expensive hobby and regardless of a diploma training is training. |
|
| |
|
 Hawty & Nawty
Posts: 20424
| Op. If the edges are just slightly sharp, try giving your horse a handful of corn. It helps take some sharp edges off while they chew. Just a little, don't overdo it. And please don't sweat some of these comments. Good luck. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | While I think it is a great aspiration to have, I wouldn't trust my own self with my horses teeth.
When I first moved to TX I have had a "vet" grind my geldings teeth so low he no longer has 4 teeth in the front... They fell out a few days later after bleeding for hours on end after the "vet" was done. He lost hundreds of pounds because he couldn't chew properly.
Come to find out the "vet" was actually an intern and they didn't feel the need to ask me if he could "practice" on my horse that day. I got an apology, money for medical expenses (that I used at my current vet's office.) and they had the nerve to offer a free health exam to all my horses. As if...
I had so many people refer me to this vet practice and I honestly wish I could remember the name of the practice so I could PM whoever wanted the name. But being 6 years ago and me only calling them once I can't remember the name of the practice or the intern and vet's names.
I will never call a vet out to float, I will always take them in and I will always ask for the vet himself. No helpers, no other visiting vets. My vet, or i'm waiting for him to come back.
My horse now has permanent damage thanks to someone who wasn't trained properly. My Point? Do your research!! It's not as easy as it sounds and it can have a lasting impact on horses teeth/health. Good luck! |
|
| |
|
Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | FLITASTIC - 2015-04-29 9:31 AM
mruggles - 2015-04-27 7:37 PM
Omg...wow.....just wowMI dont say that to often and i have typed it twice today
THis was a rude comment......
Gee flit....if u thought that was rude good thing i kept it pg.....lolM |
|
| |
|
Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | casualdust07 - 2015-04-28 2:15 PM hlc84 - 2015-04-28 1:51 PM I agree you should get a professional to do teeth. But as the daughter of a vet, I do get frustrated with blanket statements that "vets don't do as good job/or detailed job" as an equine dentist. Just like anything else there are some that are better than others. A vet has had many years of school/training in medicine and anatomy. Depending on their focus, some are better dentists. I'm in vet school and it bothers me a lot too. It's like, don't forget I'm on the boards people.. I'm working really really hard to be the best I can be and then I read posts about how vet dentists aren't as good. Don't assume I won't do as good of a job as a dentist because I'm a vet and someone had a bad experience with a vet once. We have learned a lot over the years and have many advances in dentistry. I guarantee you I will do the best job I can and I spend over $30,000 a year to learn this stuff. Nothing against the lay person dentist.. but don't lump me in a group of people who won't be good at something when you don't know how much work I put into to get my degree just so I can be an EQUINE VET. And dentistry is a big deal, a lot can go wrong, a lot can be over looked.. I'm busting my butt to be able to do that as part of my profession.. don't count me out.
honestly.....I trust my vet to float my horses teeth because he's been doing them for 10 years....than I would an equine dentist.
So not all people think vets shouldn't be doing them :) |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 287
| I don't even know of any equine dentists around here. All we have are vets. And most are general practitioners and not just specialized in equine medicine. They are good but not specialized |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 41
| Hi, everyone. Thank you all for your comments and responses.
First of all, I'm not a troll. Maybe stupid, but not a troll.  I happened across this article (www.donblazer.com/ahorseofcourse/floating_02_08.html) and it got me thinking since I'm pretty sure at least one of the "certified professionals" I've used has done more damage than good on visits that should have been routine.
Second, I completely understand your concerns and genuinely appreciate that you care about my horses' wellbeing. The last thing I would want to do would be to hurt my horses and I realize that negatively changing the structure of one's mouth is the fast track to hurting one. I do not think that floating is an easy thing to do or doesn't require expertise and I certainly wouldn't go out and float my horses' teeth tomorrow without any training.
What I was thinking about doing was attempting to take off a sharp edge maybe 6 months down the road after consistently learning from a vet or dentist (the poster who commented about Ed Wright's clinic basically described what I was hoping to be able to do). Some of these responses have me wondering if that might be an overly aggressive goal. I never intended for my horses to never, ever see a dentist -- I only wanted to be more in tune with what was going on with their mouths, to know if the dentist is doing a good job, to be able tell if a float is really necessary (I would guess that there are horses out there who actually see the dentist too much and have lost more tooth than they can afford), and to be able to prevent a rough edge here or there from becoming a real problem.
When I looked into dentist schools, I found this website (www.horseshoes.net/advance.php), which claims to teach you to float and extract wolf teeth in 16 instructional hours during a farrier school. Presumably at least a few of these people will be floating other peoples' horses to make money -- "to improve earnings per stop." That doesn't seem like enough time or experience to really know what you're doing to me. Or this training is more in-depth and takes 4 weeks (www.amscheqdentistry.com/program.html) and goes beyond what someone would probably need to clean up a mouth and spot when it is time to call in a professional -- although the anatomy and so on would be vital. Of course, the learning that comes after the "training" -- the years, hours, and horses of experience -- is undeniably important.
So I guess my question was, if I invested the time to learn the basics (with "do no harm" in mind) and the money to get the right tools, would I be able to do right by my horses and actually provide them better care -- with a dentist or vet still on my team should the need arise? Has anyone successfully done it? From what I've read on here, many firmly believe "NO!" while some have had good success with it.
Again, thank you all for your input and time. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1561
| NO WAYYYY!!!!
You need at least 80 hours training per tooth to know them inside and out, anything less is just irresponsible and animal abuse... |
|
| |
|
Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| 123barrelracer - 2015-04-28 7:48 PM Hi, everyone. Thank you all for your comments and responses. First of all, I'm not a troll. Maybe stupid, but not a troll. I happened across this article (www.donblazer.com/ahorseofcourse/floating_02_08.html ) and it got me thinking since I'm pretty sure at least one of the "certified professionals" I've used has done more damage than good on visits that should have been routine. Second, I completely understand your concerns and genuinely appreciate that you care about my horses' wellbeing. The last thing I would want to do would be to hurt my horses and I realize that negatively changing the structure of one's mouth is the fast track to hurting one. I do not think that floating is an easy thing to do or doesn't require expertise and I certainly wouldn't go out and float my horses' teeth tomorrow without any training. What I was thinking about doing was attempting to take off a sharp edge maybe 6 months down the road after consistently learning from a vet or dentist (the poster who commented about Ed Wright's clinic basically described what I was hoping to be able to do ). Some of these responses have me wondering if that might be an overly aggressive goal. I never intended for my horses to never, ever see a dentist -- I only wanted to be more in tune with what was going on with their mouths, to know if the dentist is doing a good job, to be able tell if a float is really necessary (I would guess that there are horses out there who actually see the dentist too much and have lost more tooth than they can afford ), and to be able to prevent a rough edge here or there from becoming a real problem. When I looked into dentist schools, I found this website (www.horseshoes.net/advance.php ), which claims to teach you to float and extract wolf teeth in 16 instructional hours during a farrier school. Presumably at least a few of these people will be floating other peoples' horses to make money -- "to improve earnings per stop." That doesn't seem like enough time or experience to really know what you're doing to me. Or this training is more in-depth and takes 4 weeks (www.amscheqdentistry.com/program.html ) and goes beyond what someone would probably need to clean up a mouth and spot when it is time to call in a professional -- although the anatomy and so on would be vital. Of course, the learning that comes after the "training" -- the years, hours, and horses of experience -- is undeniably important. So I guess my question was, if I invested the time to learn the basics (with "do no harm" in mind ) and the money to get the right tools, would I be able to do right by my horses and actually provide them better care -- with a dentist or vet still on my team should the need arise? Has anyone successfully done it? From what I've read on here, many firmly believe "NO!" while some have had good success with it. Again, thank you all for your input and time.
My apologies asking if your question was for real. Welcome to the board. Any body wanting to learn as much as they can about their horse is always a good thing. I would be concerned about the sedation and doing it without sedation would be extremely difficult. Skills can definitely be learned from an experienced teacher. Floating teeth is something I chose to have done by my vet. I am fortunate to have a great vet. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Itsme - 2015-04-28 7:59 PM
NO WAYYYY!!!!
You need at least 80 hours training per tooth to know them inside and out, anything less is just irresponsible and animal abuse...
Even vet schools don't provide that much training.... Just ask here... |
|
| |
|
Location: Texas | komet. - 2015-04-28 8:26 PM Itsme - 2015-04-28 7:59 PM NO WAYYYY!!!! You need at least 80 hours training per tooth to know them inside and out, anything less is just irresponsible and animal abuse... Even vet schools don't provide that much training.... Just ask here...
That might be why multiple people have complained or will not let vets float their horses teeth. |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | if my posts sounded harsh they werent intended to.. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | EqualRanch - 2015-04-28 8:37 PM
komet. - 2015-04-28 8:26 PM Itsme - 2015-04-28 7:59 PM NO WAYYYY!!!! You need at least 80 hours training per tooth to know them inside and out, anything less is just irresponsible and animal abuse... Even vet schools don't provide that much training.... Just ask here...
I spent several years living close to the dental school in Glens Ferry Idaho and I remember seeing vets from all over the world going there to learn more... A degree in veterinary medicine does not an equine dentist make. It's a darn good start tho. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I would not try it myself - but my husband says it is painful to watch me use a screwdriver because I SO lack hand dexterity skills. I definitely agree that the serious dental work should be left to the professionally trained. But I do believe that a lay person could learn to correctly OCCASIONALLY take the rough edges off. I believe every horse owner should have a basic understanding of floating and what it entails. That way you can better understand when your horse needs it and if who you are using is doing a quality job.
You sound like you have a logical and realistic outlook on learning about floating, a respect for the process, and the realization of the responsibility you take for the welfare of the horse. Perhaps if you tried some of the basic schooling, you would get a feel for if you could be good at it. Then you might pursue more knowledge and experience.
I don't believe that anyone should put a limit what they can learn to do. As another poster pointed out, no one is born an expert at anything. Kudos for wanting to broaden your knowledge, just also please be respectful of the welfare of the horse. |
|
| |
|
Location: Texas | komet. - 2015-04-28 9:40 PM EqualRanch - 2015-04-28 8:37 PM komet. - 2015-04-28 8:26 PM Itsme - 2015-04-28 7:59 PM NO WAYYYY!!!! You need at least 80 hours training per tooth to know them inside and out, anything less is just irresponsible and animal abuse... Even vet schools don't provide that much training.... Just ask here... I spent several years living close to the dental school in Glens Ferry Idaho and I remember seeing vets from all over the world going there to learn more... A degree in veterinary medicine does not an equine dentist make. It's a darn good start tho.
I know, that was my point. |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I read all the comments
Since the op has more explanation
The things I would be concerned about is what vets would be teaching you, as a competent vet I don't think would be teaching a lay person with no training/education how to float.
I would also consider the cost of the equipment as it isn't cheap, I wouldn't cheap out on the quality of tools.
Just an example each tooth has it's own tool for pulling teeth, I have only met one vet and one equine dentist who actually have all the necessary tools.
Sedation, it is illegal to practice veterinary medicine without a liscense, this actually includes the major sedations rompin, etc. I have yet to have a horse floated without sedation, I have two at the current time that need a double dose to get in their mouth. What is your plan with this, without sedation the horse can pull back and you may inadvertently knock a tooth out or worse case break it off at the gum.
Sadly teeth and feet are not regulated in the horse industry and this is why we have any Joe Schmo doing this and we have more bad then good.
|
|
| |
|
 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | You sound very intelligent and like you're doing research on the topic. I hope all goes well if you decide to take this further and get trained in this area. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | I've had my grandfathers tools for the last 30+ years. I took a short course on the east coast many moons ago. I've been able to keep the sharp points off if I "had to do it". With that said, I have two great people within 30 min of my horses that I trust to do a better job than I. They have made it their passion. Out of neccessity I learned as we had no one in our area (at the time) that could really help out our young horses. Those that tried always did WAY TO MUCH, and the colts would get set way back. If you take a course and get to work with someone that's willing to check your work I say go ahead, Many years ago that's what we did out of neccessity. The Vet I use presently has really improved her expertise, not sure if she's taken more short courses thru CE or just has gotten lots of horses to work on and the numbers and diligency to do right has up'ed the quality. I'm so fortunate to have her, she uses power tools and NTO's husband uses hand tools. Both are very good with their skills and many horses in our area have benefitted from their services.
I want to cover a remark that was made earlier by someone . You do not have to have sedation to float teeth I've been witness to this many times over, I'm not against sedation and in fact, for it on horses that want to "fight". I have lots of "fight" in my blood lines. I use it when the horse "needs" it.
I love dormosedan gel and think that those that can understand the risks, effects, side effects and contraindications should keep some on hand as you never know when you may need it.
I was introduced to it several years ago and gave it to gals that were leasing my horses for college rodeo. I've used it once on a horse in a trailer accident and it worked great till we could get the horse cut out. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | 123barrelracer - 2015-04-28 7:48 PM Hi, everyone. Thank you all for your comments and responses. First of all, I'm not a troll. Maybe stupid, but not a troll. I happened across this article (www.donblazer.com/ahorseofcourse/floating_02_08.html ) and it got me thinking since I'm pretty sure at least one of the "certified professionals" I've used has done more damage than good on visits that should have been routine. Second, I completely understand your concerns and genuinely appreciate that you care about my horses' wellbeing. The last thing I would want to do would be to hurt my horses and I realize that negatively changing the structure of one's mouth is the fast track to hurting one. I do not think that floating is an easy thing to do or doesn't require expertise and I certainly wouldn't go out and float my horses' teeth tomorrow without any training. What I was thinking about doing was attempting to take off a sharp edge maybe 6 months down the road after consistently learning from a vet or dentist (the poster who commented about Ed Wright's clinic basically described what I was hoping to be able to do ). Some of these responses have me wondering if that might be an overly aggressive goal. I never intended for my horses to never, ever see a dentist -- I only wanted to be more in tune with what was going on with their mouths, to know if the dentist is doing a good job, to be able tell if a float is really necessary (I would guess that there are horses out there who actually see the dentist too much and have lost more tooth than they can afford ), and to be able to prevent a rough edge here or there from becoming a real problem. When I looked into dentist schools, I found this website (www.horseshoes.net/advance.php ), which claims to teach you to float and extract wolf teeth in 16 instructional hours during a farrier school. Presumably at least a few of these people will be floating other peoples' horses to make money -- "to improve earnings per stop." That doesn't seem like enough time or experience to really know what you're doing to me. Or this training is more in-depth and takes 4 weeks (www.amscheqdentistry.com/program.html ) and goes beyond what someone would probably need to clean up a mouth and spot when it is time to call in a professional -- although the anatomy and so on would be vital. Of course, the learning that comes after the "training" -- the years, hours, and horses of experience -- is undeniably important. So I guess my question was, if I invested the time to learn the basics (with "do no harm" in mind ) and the money to get the right tools, would I be able to do right by my horses and actually provide them better care -- with a dentist or vet still on my team should the need arise? Has anyone successfully done it? From what I've read on here, many firmly believe "NO!" while some have had good success with it. Again, thank you all for your input and time.
Welcome to the board. I do see why it would be a good thing to have some knowledge about. At the sasme time, I still wouldn't work on my horses. It would be good to know exactly when to get a float, when and how to check for sharp edges or when to know the vet/dentist wasn't doing the right thing. But I wouldn''t work on my horse or anyone else's... Just my opinion. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| I do agree with asking all the questions you can with all the professionals you meet. I ask my vet, shoer and equine dentist everything. I may drive them crazy, but I like to learn new knowledge. I want to educate myself as much as possible. |
|
| |
|
 Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | I laugh everytime I see Meep Meep post....doesn't matter what he or she says....It just makes me laugh lol. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 113
| LRQHS - 2015-04-29 1:06 PM
I laugh everytime I see Meep Meep post....doesn't matter what he or she says....It just makes me laugh lol.
 |
|
| |
|
 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | NJJ - 2015-04-28 12:05 PM MeepMeep - 2015-04-28 8:50 AM FLITASTIC - 2015-04-28 8:45 AM While I do agree that professionals are probably best to handle this, I am surprised at how harsh some of you have been on the subject. I need to read origional post again in case I missed something but the poster was just asking for advice on floating their own horse's teeth. I really didn't feel it was worthy of " Wow, just wow" or these emoticons. I castrate all my own stud colts, dogs, and cats I have ever had. Is that a " Wow" moment to? Yea Just read the origional post. Just asking if they could take some rough edges off, if it was possible. Certainly not wanting to start an equine dentistry practice or something. lol
In the old days, farriers were expected to be able to float teeth too. Not do corrective work, but knock the points off. My old farrier did my horses for years--no sedation, just stick them in the stocks and use one of those cheek speculums that you hold with one hand while the horse bites on it. Did a better job than the vets around here, who didn't use any sort of speculum at all. The guy I used until this year apprenticed with a tooth fairy at the track, and a couple of other guys. He always did good work, but the vets in his area pretty much shut him down. |
|
| |
|
Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | And, now, folks, Meep Meep has spoken! End of discussion lol. |
|
| |
|
Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | casualdust07 - 2015-04-28 2:15 PM hlc84 - 2015-04-28 1:51 PM I agree you should get a professional to do teeth. But as the daughter of a vet, I do get frustrated with blanket statements that "vets don't do as good job/or detailed job" as an equine dentist. Just like anything else there are some that are better than others. A vet has had many years of school/training in medicine and anatomy. Depending on their focus, some are better dentists. I'm in vet school and it bothers me a lot too. It's like, don't forget I'm on the boards people.. I'm working really really hard to be the best I can be and then I read posts about how vet dentists aren't as good. Don't assume I won't do as good of a job as a dentist because I'm a vet and someone had a bad experience with a vet once. We have learned a lot over the years and have many advances in dentistry. I guarantee you I will do the best job I can and I spend over $30,000 a year to learn this stuff. Nothing against the lay person dentist.. but don't lump me in a group of people who won't be good at something when you don't know how much work I put into to get my degree just so I can be an EQUINE VET. And dentistry is a big deal, a lot can go wrong, a lot can be over looked.. I'm busting my butt to be able to do that as part of my profession.. don't count me out.
Out of 3 vets I've let float teeth, only 1 did it right. And she ended up moving away after she divorced. She teamed up with a traveling dentist and still came to my area once a year, but at $180 per horse for a basic float, I couldn't afford to use her anymore. |
|
| |
Floating your own horses' teeth