“Toothless Wonder” is my 24-year-old horse Riker’s new nickname after having all 12 of his front incisors removed in 2017. Riker suffered from a relatively new condition known as EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis). This is a very painful and degenerative dental disease that leads to reabsorption of the roots of the teeth, along with laying of excess cementum (tooth) and can lead to tooth loss, fracture, and infection if left untreated. Unfortunately, the only treatment at this time is surgical removal of all affected incisors. It is thought to primarily affect senior horses, but much is still being discovered about this relatively new condition. You can learn more about EOTRH here.

Riker had his incisors removed in late May of last year, and I shared my tips for preparing for his surgery in this blog. Since he has now completed his full recovery, I wanted to share his full story of life without any front teeth. Spoiler alert- it’s a great one!
After bringing Riker home from the hospital, I was worried about how he would eat with a mouthful of stitches. Apparently I didn’t need to be concerned at all, because as soon as he stepped into his stall he dug right into his pile of hay! The fact that he hadn’t eaten in nearly 24 hours because he had to fast before the surgery probably helped, but I never saw him have any trouble with eating his hay throughout the healing process. His grain proved to be a bit more challenging, as he decided he did not want it served as a soup at all! After clearing it with his surgeon, we switched back to feeding him his regular dry grain without any further issues.

Cleaning Riker’s gums proved to be the most challenging part of the healing process, as he was not the most cooperative patient. He required 1-2x a day rinses with a chlorhexidine solution, which he absolutely hated. I’d like to say we got a little better as we went along, but I think the truth is that we both just learned some coping mechanisms along the way. Thankfully after a few weeks he had the last of his stitches removed, and he stopped running away every time I approached.

Adapting to life without his front teeth has been a lot smoother than I thought it would be! Honestly some days I completely forget, his routine has hardly changed at all. He still eats the exact same diet as before the surgery, and has no trouble cleaning up his hay and grain. He has even learned to graze without his front teeth, and you would be shocked to learn he has only gums up front after watching how normally (and quickly!) he eats.

There have been some unexpected bonuses too- like the fact that he no longer can nibble on little fingers feeding him treats! Riker has become the go-to horse for children to feed, since there’s no worry of tiny fingers getting accidentally squished between teeth (though of course we still supervise closely!). The way he picks up snacks with his tongue and lips is a little ticklish, so all of the kids love it (and Riker’s not complaining about the extra treats!). He can’t do large treats such as apples, but we find that any bite-size treats or baby carrots are the perfect size for him.

If you’re concerned your horse has EOTRH or other signs of dental issues, I highly recommend contacting your veterinarian to discuss and schedule an exam. Riker was fortunate enough to have a great veterinarian and dental surgeon on his team, which really helped his recovery go smoothly. I was extremely nervous about how he would adapt, but he has proven to be much more resilient than I gave him credit for! His life without front teeth is even better than I could have imagined, and most importantly, he is free from pain and discomfort now.