Did you know? Horses can develop smile mouth and frown mouth!

Smile mouth and frown mouth are malocclusions of the incisors where the biting surface becomes curved instead of level. In smile mouth, the incisors form an upward curve (like a smile). In frown mouth, they form a downward curve (yes, like a frown).

These conditions usually develop from uneven wear, jaw misalignment, or missing teeth that disrupt normal incisor contact.

They can cause issues such as:

Difficulty grazing, as the incisors don’t meet evenly.
Abnormal pressure on the jaw joint.
Secondary problems in the cheek teeth as the horse compensates.

Prevention starts with diet. Horses maintained on long-stem forage and allowed to graze for many hours each day are far less likely to develop these imbalances, as constant chewing helps keep incisors evenly worn.

Regular dental checks are important for spotting early changes. When needed, careful adjustments can help restore balance, but diet remains the foundation.

By prioritising fibre-rich forage and monitoring incisor alignment, we can reduce the risk of smile and frown mouth and support comfortable grazing and chewing throughout a horse’s life.

The Happy Horse Foundation is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission