14/11/2025
Q: What is ‘Quidding’?
A: A Clear Sign Your Horse Needs a Veterinary Examination
🍂 Quidding means a horse is dropping or expelling partially chewed forage. It is caused by ‘dysmasticaton’ — abnormal or painful chewing — and is one of the clearest signs of oral pain in the horse.
⚠️ But quidding is not always dental, and it must be distinguished from:
🧠 Neurological disease
🥤 Dysphagia (swallowing disorders)
🦴 TMJ disease
🩸 Soft-tissue injury or oral masses
🐴 Jaw pathology
Foreign body lodged - oral cavity, pharynx, sub-mucosal
All of these are clinical disorders requiring a veterinary diagnosis and treatment.
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** Why quidding is nearly always serious **
🦷 By the time a horse is quidding, if it’s dental related, the underlying cause is often:
• Severe periodontal disease
• Fractured, mobile, or displaced cheek teeth
• Pulpal disease, abscess
• Bilateral dysfunction / disease
• Soft-tissue trauma
• Advanced occlusal disease
(and occasionally lack of dental structure in very old age - but always worth a thorough check - don’t assume!)
These conditions cannot be diagnosed or treated with a visual check alone.
🚨What your horse actually needs
🩺 A proper veterinary assessment includes:
💉 Sedation
👄 Clinical oral examination
🔦 Oroscopic examination
🖥️ Further diagnostic imaging (X-rays or CT)
These are vet-only procedures, both legally and clinically.
This is why quidding is always a veterinary case, not a routine dental visit.
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What to do if your horse is quidding:
📞 Book a full veterinary oral and oroscopic examination under sedation.
🔍 Ensure the whole mouth is properly assessed.
⏱️ Early diagnosis = less pain, faster recovery, better long-term welfare.
Your horse’s comfort and oral health depend on it. Trust us, we are specialists and we have equine welfare at the core of what we do.
