Age of EquineIt’s All in the Teeth

Determining Age

• Age affects usefulness and value• Type, number and appearance of incisor

teeth help determine correct age– 5 years or less – some combination range from all

milk teeth (temporary teeth) to all permanent incisors

– 6 to 12 years – number of cups (indentations) in permanent incisor teeth

– 12 years & over – examine cross section and slant of incisor teeth

What’s the Difference

• Temporary Teeth – small, white, oval shaped; wider side to side than front to rear

• Permanent Teeth – yellow, larger than temporaries with a general round surface

• Molars – used for grinding on each side• Incisors – used for cutting

What’s the Difference

• 3 sets of incisors – Centrals, Intermediates, Corner Incisors (6 upper & 6 lower)

• Incisors have a cup or indentation in center of tooth that wears down with age and ultimately disappears

The Numbers Make the Difference

• Immature horses – Total 24 temporary teeth

• Mature horses – Total 36-38 permanent teeth

• Stallions & Geldings – 40-42 permanents– Wolf Tooth (Canine) – appears in front of

upper molar teeth. Accounts for difference

The Breakdown

1 year – All temporary incisors present / Cups gone from centrals

2 year - All temporary incisors present / cups gone

3 year - Temporary central incisors replaced with permanent central incisors

• 4 years - Temporary intermediate incisors replaced with permanent intermediate incisors

• 5 years – All temporary incisors replaced with permanent incisors. Horse is full

mouthed.• 6 years – Cups gone from lower central

incisors• 7 years – Cups gone from lower intermediate

incisors• 8 years - Cups gone from lower corner incisors

• 9 years - Cups gone from upper central incisors

• 10 years - Cups gone from upper intermediate incisors

• 11 years - Cups gone from all incisors. Horse

is smooth mouthed.

Extras

• A hook (worn edge) may appear on upper corner incisors at 7 to 11 years

• Galvayne’s Groove – Line that appears on the upper corner incisors around 10 to 11 years, gets longer as horse ages.

• Angle of Incidence – angle at which the incisor teeth meet. Increases and teeth wear down as horse ages.

Extras

• Floating – Filing off the sharp edges of a horse’s teeth with a rasp-like instrument.

• Bishoping – The practice of artificially drilling, burning or staining cups in teeth of older horses.