Lawmakers aim to loosen regulations on horse dentistry

March 4, 2025:

The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee killed a bill (March 5, 2025) that would have allowed non-veterinarians to perform dental work on horses.

House Bill 1176 sought to authorize certified equine dental practitioners to perform dental procedures.

Rep. Jana Hunt of Dupree said she brought the bill to address a shortage of large animal veterinarians in South Dakota.

The bill would have exempted certified equine dental practitioners from veterinary practice laws when performing specific procedures like removing enamel points and smoothing teeth, provided they register with the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

Wayne Needham, president of the International Association of Equine Dentistry, testified that his organization requires 240 hours of education and certification to perform the procedures.

Dr. Michelle Jensen from Lincoln County warned about consumer protection issues.

Veterinarians opposed the bill, citing safety concerns and lack of regulatory oversight.

The South Dakota Broadcasters Association contributed to this story.

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February 10, 2025:

The South Dakota House of Representatives voted 39-28 Friday (Feb. 8, 2025) to advance Rep. Jana Hunt’s bill to add several dental procedures to a list of those that do not currently qualify as “veterinary medicine.” House Bill 1176 would allow more people to perform the work themselves.

Hunt claimed only about 21 of the state’s 430 veterinarians practice equine medicine. She said there’s a shortage of large animal vet vets in the state and we are “vastly underserving our horse health needs.”

The legislation specifically defines the removal of horse’s teeth, smoothing, contouring and leveling of incisors, either with handheld or mechanical tools — as not a veterinarian medical practice. Grinding and smoothing the teeth is commonly referred to as “floating” and it allows them to chew more efficiently. The proposal does not change those procedures that still involve certain sedative medicines that can only be administered by a vet.

Hunt amended the bill on the floor to address concerns about a potential constitutional violation. But without that qualification, critics worried that the measure offered even less protection to the animals, because anyone could perform procedures.

Rep. Kadyn Wittman of Sioux Falls said she’s “uncomfortable with the lack of regulatory oversight. She said, “We are completely removing any certification to do equine dental work… Any lay person can work on a horse’s teeth.”

“Our home place is about 40 miles from the nearest gallon of milk,” said Rep. Will Mortenson said, noting how far the nearest veterinarians were. “These are working tools, these horses. We use them day-by-day, we have to keep these regulations as reasonable as they can be.”

The South Dakota Broadcasters Association contributed to this story.