ABS Equine Services and Farriery

11/17/2025

Great information in this article about equine teeth floating!

Hand Files vs. Power Tools for Equine Dentistry — What Research Says

This is one of those topics that divides horse people, but the science behind it is actually pretty straightforward. Both methods can be safe and effective — it all comes down to training and technique, not the tool itself.

Below is a summary of what veterinary research, dental associations, and equine hospitals say, with sources you can cite.

✅ Power Dentistry (Motorized Tools)

What the research says:

1. Power tools allow more precision and less fatigue.

According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), motorized dental equipment gives veterinarians greater control, improved visibility, and a smoother finish — especially when correcting major issues.
Source: AAEP Dental Care Guidelines, 2019
https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/Guidelines/DentalGuidelines.pdf

2. The risk of soft-tissue injury is lower with proper training.

Equine Veterinary Education (EVE) published studies showing that power tools do not burn or damage teeth or soft tissue when used correctly, and the risk of cutting the tongue/cheeks is actually higher with sharp hand rasps.
Source: Easley et al., EVE, 2005; 2008.

3. Heat damage is not an issue when used properly.

Studies show that tooth temperature remains in the safe range as long as the operator uses short passes and proper water cooling.
Source: Dixon & Dacre, Equine Dental Pathology, 2005 (Wiley-Blackwell).

4. More accurate correction of sharp points, hooks, and wave mouth.

Colorado State University’s Equine Dentistry Program states that motorized tools allow more even balancing and better molar arcades.
Source: CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital – Equine Dentistry.

✅ Hand Floating (Manual Files/Rasps)

What the research says:

1. Lower learning curve for minor work.

Hand tools can be effective for routine smoothing of sharp points and mild dental maintenance.
Source: Ramey, Equine Dentistry: A Practical Guide, 2004.

2. Higher risk of soft-tissue cuts in the wrong hands.

The AAEP warns that unguarded rasps can easily cut cheeks, gums, or the tongue if the horse moves suddenly.
Source: AAEP Dental Care Guidelines, 2019.

3. Limited ability to correct significant dental problems.

Manual tools cannot correct severe hooks, tall ramps, wave mouth, shear mouth, or caudal hooks with the same precision.
Source: Dixon & Dacre, Equine Dental Pathology, 2005.

4. Fatigue reduces accuracy.

Research shows that hand rasping leads to operator fatigue, which increases the chance of uneven reduction and accidental abrasion of soft tissue.
Source: Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), 1999; 2003.

So which is better?

According to the AAEP and veterinary dental specialists:

“The safety and effectiveness of equine dental procedures depend more on the training, skill, and experience of the practitioner than on the type of instrument used.”
— AAEP Dental Guidelines (2019)

Both methods work — but power tools give better accuracy, are safer for soft tissue, and reduce operator fatigue when used by a trained veterinarian.

10/29/2025

This is an excellent read!!

09/28/2025

Never underestimate the power of a good gaiter.

09/03/2025

Hello!!

ABS Equine Services has relocated back to Colorado safely!

I will be taking on a handful of clients in the Denver Metro Area starting next week! (9/13/25)

✅ I offer Scoot Boot sizing and Barefoot Trims.
(With the chance of adding glue on shoes again)

❗️I will no longer be offering training services❗️

08/26/2025

Some times less is more!! This is a beautiful trim on a hoof on a regular routine schedule! 😍 beautiful!

08/11/2025

Sheath Cleaning should be down every-time you bathe your horses! IMO!!

Sorry to anyone this may offend, but it does need to be said.
I have seen a few comments recently on our posts saying ‘I have had horses my whole life, and I’ve never heard of this silly nonsense’ or ‘ I never checked any of my horses and they were fine, beans are a made up fad’ or ‘I have had horses for 60 years and my husband trained them and we never checked for them so we don’t believe beans are real’ or ‘ I’ve only seen this popping up in the past 3/4 years, we didn’t do this in my day’.

Learning about horses is a lifelong journey. Some of us found horses later in life and some of us come from generations of equestrians. I come from the latter, my families relationship with horses goes back centuries, breeding, transport, competing etc and when I started out on this path a decade ago my family of equestrians thought I was nuts. They had never heard of a bean. They of course all understand now.

Just because I have a long history with horses however, does not mean I can lecture someone who may have only had horses for 5 years, on hoof care or building condition on the top line or bits or saddles. If they had a horse with complex issues that my horses have never had, then the ‘less experienced’ horse owner would know far more than me about the complex matter that none of my horses have ever had.
We know what we know from the experience we gain with the horses we have and every horse is different.
We have worked with thousands upon thousands of horses here at BESC and still we find our selves learning new snippets of information about horses on a regular basis.
So to respond to those comments above, just because you have had horses your whole life, does not mean you know more than everyone else. Many, many people that get their horses checked, have also had horses their whole lives, the difference being, they are willing to learn.
If you never checked any of your horses, then how do you know they didn’t have beans? That issue your horse always suffered with may have been a bean…
This isn’t a new fad, you had just never heard of it.

Why do we care? well, we went to a client recently who almost didn’t go through with the appointment because she was made to feel silly for getting us out - the horse had a massive bean by the way and is undoubtedly feeling much better.

Long story short, our little business wouldn’t still be running 10 years later, if beans weren’t real.

08/04/2025

08/02/2025

Great information!

08/01/2025

🫳🏼 🎤

There is no correct use for draw reins.

Yes, you heard me.

Draw reins will always and forever be a shortcut for the benefit of the rider, not for the benefit of the horse.

There is no way to “correctly” create a leverage system that serves the purpose of pulling the horse’s head down and in.

The entire purpose is to make it easier for the rider to force the horse into a certain head and neck position.

Draw reins create a pulley system that amplifies the amount of pressure from the rider’s hands on the draw rein.

No matter how you configure them (where you clip them to) the leverage is always pulling the horse’s head IN.

The direction of leverage effectively serves to teach the horse to go behind the vertical.

Additionally, physical fitness is not built overnight.

The rider cannot feel the horse’s muscles fatiguing or when the horse is overstretched.

Humans are also notoriously bad at noticing discomfort signals from the horse so it becomes easy to ignore any attempts from the horse to communicate discomfort.

Draw reins skip steps that would otherwise allow the rider to gauge the horse’s physical capacity and where they’re at in terms of learning to carry themselves.

Skipping those steps does not develop the muscular ability any faster.

So, sure, the head and neck may go down and in and it may become easier to stop the horse from popping their head up, but it does not build the physical capacity to maintain that position for an extended period of time.

We should want the horse to seek contact and move into it softly, not hide from it.

The damage draw reins do to horses is apparent in their muscling but also their way of going.

Horses frequently ridden in draw reins are highly likely to dip behind the vertical with very little contact from the riding, “hiding” from contact.

This can be difficult to fix and it is much easier to avoid the problem in the first place by not using draw reins.

Draw reins, like many training gadgets, are for the rider.

They serve the purpose of offering instant gratification for the human.

But, this comes at the expense of the horse.

Building physical fitness and teaching correct carriage takes time.

Take the time it takes.

Draw reins are not for the horse.

They’re for the human.

There is no correct use for them.

This is a hill I will die on.

Stop rushing at the horses’ expense just to get to a destination faster.

It ALWAYS will come at a cost.

And usually it is the horse who pays.

07/29/2025

I absolutely cannot wait any longer. I’ve been trying to personally tell all of my clients that I am moving back home to Colorado come the end of August, but alas I am not as patient as I thought I could be.

To all of my clients on this page, do not fret! I plan on trimming everyone before August 25th. If you’re horses are due the last week in August and first week in September I will be more than happy to get them in one last time to give you time to find a farrier to take over. I have been looking for a worthy farrier in the local area to take over my clients but I only have 1-2 possible subjects to give out names.