Three years ago, Advanced Equine Dentistry hired a new veterinarian. She moved to Florida to take this job and told us it was exactly what she wanted. It turned out, she was exactly what we wanted too. Morgan adored our clients, she had a great working relationship with Rich, and she became part of our own family. Sadly, Morgan was diagnosed with cancer after her first year here and subsequently went into treatment. She underwent her grueling surgeries and regimen with grace telling us over and over that she wanted to keep her job and continue to be part of AED. Many of you have asked about her, so it is with great sadness that Rich and Terri wanted to let our clients know that Morgan died this week. At the end, she was fortunately surrounded by her family, her husband, her friends….and even her goats. We have no doubt that heaven has hired a new veterinarian…..and we will so be missing ours.

Morgan Bosch Dombrowski DVM 1990-2021

See you there! We will be set up and available for our routine services if needed!

Have you ever thought about acupuncture treatments? Many of our clients are proponents of using this ancient therapy to treat their horses, but they are missing out on the advantages it offers to equestrians. Here at AED, we have all had acupuncture therapies with much success….and we’d like to recommend our clinician!

Do you love riding horses? Do you ever suffer anxiety during a ride or competition? Have you experienced injuries/pain resulting from your riding or training? My name is Dr. Lexy Ballinger and many of the clients in my practice are equestrians. I am honored to be an integral part of their path to improvements in the saddle.

Did you know that acupuncture is an extremely effective treatment for both anxiety and pain? The best part of acupuncture is it can help with many medical conditions without the need to take medications or experience their possible side effects.  By accessing acupuncture points, your body is aided in rebalancing and healing itself. In addition to the long, documented history of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine, studies by the National Institute of Health (NIH) have clearly demonstrated acupuncture as an excellent and effective tool for treating conditions such as anxiety, all types of pain, insomnia, headaches, migraines, and stress. If you have ever wondered if there was a different way to manage your equine related injuries or a way to facilitate calm during your rides, please call or write to me at (813) 917-1173/ flphoenixrisingacu.com so I may answer your questions!  Until then….Happy Riding!

Richard Grist CEqD gets many questions from clients about the tools he chooses to work with and the benefits of those tools to equine dental care. As with anything “horse” related, there are endless opinions and theories passed around and adopted into the health care routines of owners. Follow along as we explain how Advanced Equine Dentistry performs dental care, why we use specific tools and procedures, and the facts behind our expert performance!

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One of the first tools you will see used on your horse during a dental visit with AED is a speculum. While the speculum certainly protects the dental practitioner from being injured, its actual use is to protect your horse. Not only can horses be injured from biting down on dental tools, they can also be gravely injured from dental tools being utilized blindly. Imagine your own dentist inserting a long, sharp rasp into your own mouth without being able to see the termination of your teeth or what parts they were actually touching! The speculum, when used properly, holds the equine jaw open so that the dentist can reach every tooth surface and can see every tooth surface. Anatomically, it also creates enough separation of the grinding surfaces of the molars to allow for the removal of any ramps…..if you look at the equine skull, you can see that without opening the horse’s mouth, these final teeth stay in contact and would prevent a thorough dental procedure! It is not uncommon for AED to be called to treat horses who are having riding/bitting/head tossing issues but who have also recently been “floated”. In many of these horses, we find remaining ramps that would have been impossible to access if a speculum was not used in their previous care.

Whether you use Advanced Equine Dentistry or any other dental practitioner, your horse needs you to know that they WANT a speculum used to protect them and to allow for the very best dental procedure! It isn’t torture….it is safety!

It’s Springtime! And along with the return of our awesome weather comes more horse riding, more horse events, more horse shows, more horse everything! Just like we “spring clean” our homes, this month is a great time to make a list of your horse’s wellness needs and get those appointments and exams on your calendar! Take a moment to review when your vaccines were last given, if you’ve checked a fecal egg count recently, the expiration dates of your various supplements and equine medications, when your coggins expires, and of course if your horse is due for dental care! Advanced Equine Dentistry sends visit reminders about 6 weeks before your horse is due for care to enable you to make an appointment that fits into your busy schedule……and into ours! See you soon!

First-time horse buyers are often unsure of what exactly they should be looking for when buying a horse. They may be unfamiliar with horse terminology and what, exactly, owning a horse entails. Even some experienced horse owners still need assistance when purchasing a new horse. If you are new to horses, always take an experienced horse person with you. They will know some things to look for. We’ve compiled a short list of things to consider when going to see a potential horse.

1. Does the horse have any past issues with colic, lameness, Cushings, etc? And have they had their vaccines/coggins? It is always important to try and get the vet records from any horse you are going to purchase. Some people say they vaccinated the horse themselves but have no proof. Rabies vaccines can only be purchased and given by a veterinarian. It is also good to ask if the horse is on anything for maintenance, such as supplements or joint injections.

2. Request a pre-purchase exam from a third-party veterinarian. Whatever you plan is for your horse, it is important to get a complete and thorough physical exam of the horse before you buy. X-rays of the legs and feet are often included in a pre-purchase exam, as well. It is equally important to have a vet that has a good reputation and is not connected to either the buyer or the seller perform the exam.

3. Have the horse aged by a veterinarian or certified equine dentist. We get clients all the time that ask us to come and confirm a horse’s age before they buy. We have had clients buy a horse, and then find out it is older/younger than what they seller told them once we check them out. One of the most extreme cases we have seen even had papers confirming that the horse was 5 years old. When we opened up his mouth, he was closer to 20 years old. Most sellers will say a horse is between 10-15 years old, even if they aren’t sure.

4. Ask to take the horse on trial for 7-10 days.  This will allow you to see how the horse acts and rides outside its home environment. It will also enable you to see if the horse had been sedated when you tried it out on the farm. There are some shady people out there that will drug a horse to make it quieter when people come to try it out. Be sure to get a written agreement for the trial period!

5. Is the horse a good match for the capabilities of the rider? Some people buy a horse just because it’s pretty or flashy. They don’t consider the fact that the horse doesn’t have any training and they won’t be able to handle or ride it without sending it to a trainer. It is always important to consider your own skills and the training of the horse. For example, if you’re just learning how to ride, don’t buy a horse that is green broke and needs more training.  Sure, that black horse with 4 white socks in the field my be pretty, but he’s also an unbroke 4-year-old stallion. Not something for an inexperienced or novice owner.

6. ALWAYS budget what it’s going to cost you to keep the horse. Buying the horse is often the least expensive part of horse ownership. You have to consider everything that goes into owning a horse long term. This includes: vet bills, farrier visits every 4-6 weeks, board costs, feed costs, tack, lessons, training, etc. Cheaper services are often not worth the cost of inferior work. A $3,000 horse can easily turn into an $8-10,000 horse by the end of a year. Insurance is a very good option for horse owners to consider. It can help cover the cost of expensive services and emergencies.

The take-home message from all of this is: be sure of what you are buying. All too often, people end up with buyer’s remorse because they didn’t check off all the boxes before signing the check. If you are ever unsure of a horse’s age, don’t hesitate to give us a call! Teeth are our specialty, after all!

Written by: Morgan Bosch, DVM

Advanced Equine Dentistry