How to make a horse open up and say,"Aaaaa."

Our equine dentist visited today. Horses need dental care too! Our old mares, especially Spellbound, drop a lot of their feed, which means it's time for the dentist! Horses grind their food in such a way that it creates sharp points on their teeth, which need to be filed down. That's where the dentist comes in.

Now this looks worse than it is for Hank. This device, called a speculum, fits over the horses upper and lower teeth to allow the dentist to open the mouth and file. It lasts less than 2 minutes. No one had to be sedated and everyone was cooperative (i.e. no rearing or running over handlers!).
Usually the horses need a dental check once a year. It's been three for the girls so now we're back on schedule.