Veterinarians performed much needed dentistry on Illawarra Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) horses on Monday.

The horses are ridden by people with disabilities as a fun form of therapy but the horses’ teeth need to be in tip-top shape so the experience is comfortable for both horse and rider.

Illawarra Equine Centre veterinarian Gill Rickard said the birthday gift was part of a global campaign called Presents4Ponies.

“We’re passionate about dentistry for horses being performed by knowledgeable, trained vets who are able to use sedation, pain relief and nerve blocks for all normal horse dentistry work, unlike lay practitioners (horse dentists), who are not vets,” she said.

“Some do fine jobs, but there are some who do not and don’t have training and can’t use sedation or pain relief legally. You can only imagine how distressing it would be for horses having teeth pulled with no relief.”

It’s the second time Illawarra Equine Centre has put its expertise to charitable use.

“We chose Illawarra RDA because the horse is an integral part of the organisation, to allow disabled youngsters to get the joy of movement and the feeling of being on top of a horse,” Dr Rickard said.