What is the difference between “floating” and “balancing” or “equilibration”?
Floating is the act of rasping or removing sharp points from the buccal (cheek) side edge of the upper molars and the lingual (tongue) side edge of the lower molars. The horse’s maxilla is wider than its mandible causing the edges to be unopposed creating sharp points to form. Balancing is addressing the entire mouth including the occlusal surface of the molars, the buccal and lingual points, and re-aligning the incisors so that pressure is balanced between incisors, molars and the temporo-mandibular joint.
