La Joya Escondida Equine Services

10/20/2026

I can tell a LOT about a horse in 10 seconds — just by flipping the lip.

Here’s my quick 4️⃣ -point check you can do at home:

1. Gum Color: Should be bubblegum pink + moist. Pale, white, or tacky = problem.
2. Incisor Angle: Long, leaning forward? Means molars aren’t meeting right.
3. Smell Check: Should be pretty neutral. Sour / rotten = food trapped somewhere or possible infection.
4. Symmetry: Both sides should wear evenly. One side more worn = he’s chewing around pain.

Try it tomorrow at feeding time. What do you see? Drop a 🦷 if your horse passes their 4 point check!

👉 Save this — you’ll want it next time you’re at the barn.

Seeing issues with one, or more, of the 4 points above? Message the page! We'd love to get that fixed for you.

10/19/2026

My senior mare's full-time job in retirement is Quality Control. 😂

Daily checklist:
✓ Inspect the feed room
✓ Inspect the tack room
✓ Inspect my truck (and get IN if door is open)
✓ Test every single gate to see if I actually latched it

Spoiler: I did latch it. She tests it anyway. Every. Time.

Tell me your senior runs security too — what's the nosiest thing your old horse has done? Unlatched a gate? Let everyone out? Mine's done all of the above.

Drop your nosy senior pic below so I can show my girl she's not the only one with zero boundaries.

10/16/2026

Look at these two photos. See a difference?

No, I didn't change his feed, no I didn't worm him, I floated his teeth.

Same horse. Same feed. Different mouth.

The horse on the left is MY horse when I let him go too long between floats. Lean, dull coat, just looking rough.

The horse on the right is 60 days after his dental. No supplements changed — he could finally USE what I was feeding him.

I wouldn't offer a service to clients that I don't believe in for my own herd. Yearly dentals are the cheapest weight-gain and wellness program you'll ever invest in for your horse(s).

I stand by my work because this is the work I do on my own horses. When they can't chew it, they can't USE it. When they can't use it, they can't perform their best.

Is your horse due? Let's talk, I'd love to help.

10/13/2026

Quick check while you are out with your horses today. Is your horse due?

Here are three things I recommend checking once a month to see if your horse is due for a float:

1) Manure 💩: Long, undigested hay stems = not chewing well.

2) Uneven Muscling: One side of the body bigger than the other, or always stiff going one direction. Often they're chewing and bracing to one side due to sharpness or imbalance in the mouth.

3) Water bucket 🌊: A horse that dunks all his hay or makes a soupy mess is often trying to soften feed because chewing hurts.

If you see 1, or more, of these give us a shout. We'd love to help!

09/26/2026

"Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest occlusion of them all?"

We don't all have an amazing endoscopic camera to utilize in the field (though we are working on it 😉) so we must have an alternative option to properly evaluate the mouths we are in.

A mirror is a simple tool that has been around since 6000 B.C (oldest) /1830's (modern) that can greatly assist equine dentists gain a true understanding of what is happening inside the mouth. Our training and experience usually tells us something isn't quite right but we can't quite see it or we see something off but can't get a full view based on the angles. That's when the mirror comes into play.

There are countless situations I have been grateful to have mine. It allows me to be more thorough and also grants me the opportunity to show the owners what I'm seeing along with providing a teaching moment (which the teacher in me "secretly " loves). I don't break out the mirror only when things seem off. It is great to run it through to be certain there's nothing hiding and take note of the condition of each tooth.

Most of us check our mirror at least once a day to make sure we look ready for the day, so why not do the same for our equine friends?

We have spots available for October and November. Lets see what that magic mirror has to show us. Call and book today!

08/03/2026

So I've been seeing a lot of content written using AI, so I decided to ask AI what it is that an Equine dentist does...

AI: "You mean you're a tooth fairy... for 1,200 lb toddlers with a personal vendetta against bits?"

😂😂

So if your horse acts like the bit is lava and you are personally responsible, shoot me a message. I'll be happy to help!

**Pic to show what AI thinks an Equine Dentist session looks like (not totally wrong in some cases lol)

07/30/2026

💥PLEASE READ💥

My phone has been unable to receive texts or calls, I am not sure how long it has been like this.

I want to apologize to anyone who has tried to reach out or get a hold of us during this time. I want to thank everyone who has referred us and continues to do so.

We are working with AT&T to fix this, but in the meantime, please message this page or my personal page to schedule or for any questions. Thank you and God Bless.

- Victoria

07/20/2026

Come check out C3 Speed Horses at the upcoming TQHA Yearling Sale @ AT&T Center !

Anyone in the market for a fabulous yearling filly by the great Tres Seis??? Dam is by Corona Cartel!!!

She sells this Friday, July 24th, at the TQHA yearling sale in San Antonio. Hip #46 “Sexi Lexi”. Don’t miss out on her!

07/16/2026

So you want to make sure your horse is getting the optimal amount of air when they're performing huh? 💪

Before researching or asking about supplements to give, make sure your equine partner has no physical restrictions that are limiting their breathing.

No I'm not talking about a lameness exam or a conditioning program (though those should be priority as well). There is a muscular structure that so many of us never think about when it comes to parts of the respiratory system...

That muscle is the tongue!! 😛😝

Horses cannot breathe through their mouth. However, their tongue can get in the way of their ability to breathe efficiently by closing the larynx which controls airflow into the lungs.🌬🙌😤💨

Now how does this relate to teeth? If your horse's teeth are sharp on the lingual (facing inwards towards the tongue), most often times they will attempt to move their tongue away from the sharp points. Horses that put their tongue "over the bit" may be avoiding pressure from their 🦷. Almost like if you bite your tongue (ouch!) you do your best to avoid irritating it as much as possible! There may be other reasons your horse may exhibit these behaviors, but I'll just focus on the teeth for this post 😉.

Depending on how the horse moves the tongue, they can partially, or completely ❗️, close off their airways. You can't expect your car to run efficiently without adequate air flow, same goes for our equine friends! Adequate airflow also affects their ability to cool themselves, but I digress 🤓.

Don't wait until your partner is already hurting and uncomfortable. Stay on top of your dental appointments. Don't have a dentist? Message our page and we will get you and your equine partner sorted out. Don't wait, every second counts! 😉

07/15/2026

Don't forget to breathe!

It is common knowledge that the more air/oxygen a horse can intake the better they will feel and perform.

So many supplements and drugs are aimed at "opening their lungs" or "increasing circulatory function" but many of them don't address all the physical discomforts that can limit the efficiency of which your equine partner breathes. Before you reach for the extras, check the physical aspects that help control the mechanics of breathing.

Check in tomorrow (or drop a guess in the comments) to find out which muscular structure is commonly overlooked when it comes to the respiratory system and how proper dental care can help limit future problems.