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Why do horses hang? Common causes of drifting or veering, and how to treat them

By James Tate BVMS MRCVS
First Published: 05 March 2010 - Issue Number: 29

Mouth Problems
Perhaps the most obvious cause of a horse carrying its head to one side and hanging is a mouth or tooth problem.  ‘Wolf teeth’ are the rudimentary first upper premolar teeth. Not all horses get them but when present they are found in front of the cheek teeth.  The wolf tooth is the most common individual tooth to cause pain because it is found exactly where the bit sits and hence most people remove them, particularly if a horse shows any sign of pain or hanging.
Horses can also hang as a result of problems associated with their cheek teeth.  Due to the way in which the horse grinds its food moving its jaw from side to side, the upper cheek teeth tend to become sharp on the outside and the lower cheek teeth tend to become sharp on the inside.  If teeth are left sharp for too long, they can cause painful wounds which make the horse favour one side of its mouth more than the other and so hang at exercise.  Furthermore, the problem can develop into a vicious cycle because if a horse starts to put too much pressure on the ‘good’ side of its mouth then a wound can also form here, leaving the horse with wounds on both sides.
Treatment of such problems involves addressing the mouth wounds, correcting the tooth abnormalities and taking appropriate action with regard to the horse’s bit.  Mouth wounds should be flushed daily with warm, salty water and some also advocate the application of ointments such as ‘Bonjela’ on cheek wounds, or creams containing corticosteroids for mouth angle cuts.  With regard to the teeth, the sharp edges should be rasped smooth and if any deciduous/‘milk’ cheek teeth (otherwise known as ‘caps’) are comi...

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