Wear and development of the denture
The horse’s teeth grow and change constantly during its life. You have to let your horse some time and quietness to chew normally, which will participate to the normal and adequate wear of the teeth.
Irregularities in the teeth wear and tear may trigger rough bit. There also are other teeth troubles which are not necessarily linked to the pony’s diet for example: denture in scissors, wear of the anterior part of the incisors by tic, milk tooth adhesion, asymmetry of the arcades, milk tooth hampering the bit support, etc.

Denture troubles indications when resting
Mouth bleeding
Refusal to eat or really slowly or releasing its food
Loose of weight
The horse rather like to eat the hay before the cereals
Faeces showing a non digested food
Food in the watering place
Bad breath, excess of salivation
Cheeks or lips inflammation
The horse mouth is sensitive
Abnormal carrying of the tongue
Tracks of teeth rubbing in the stall

Denture troubles indications when ridden
Mouth bleeding
Hard to bridle, putting his tongue over the bit, playing overly with the bit
Lack of flexibility, tilting his head to one side when working, being heavier on one rein
Over sensitive to the hand

The dentist’s work
Whoever is your polo pony, it is highly necessary to make a visit to the dentist every year. It helps to improve his diet but also your polo pony work. The dentist can file the teeth of the horse when it hurts inside the cheeks or when it hampers his digestion but he also can extract teeth (such as wolf teeth which make the horse protect himself against the horse rider hand).
Finally, the teeth filing down (which does not require any anesthesia)will help you to reduce the horse ration because he will be more able to digest all his food with a denture helping him to chew entirely.