Telling age by looking at the teeth is not 100% accurate but it will give you an approximation if you don't know your horses birth date.
The color of your horse's teeth provide a general clue as to it's age. The milk teeth are white, and the permanent teeth (which erupt at 2 ½ to 5 years of age) that replace them are cream-yellow. With increasing age they turn brown (20 years plus).
Because
a horses lifestyle means it is almost continually grazing its teeth grow
continually and are worn down. Because of this the horses teeth gradually change
throughout his life which allows us to tell its age.
Ageing a horse by looking at his teeth is fairly accurate up to the age of eight
and after that it is only the approximate age.
The adult horse has 40 teeth, which consists of 24 molars, twelve incisors and
male horses have four tusks. Sometimes the horse may also have four wolf teeth.
One year – the horse has six new milk teeth in each jaw.
Two years – the horse has a complete set of milk teeth which are now worn.
Three years – the two centre milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth.
Four years – the next two milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth.
Five years – the two corner milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth.
Six years – The corner incisors are in wear and you have the dental star present
on the centre incisors.
Seven years – You have a small hook appear on the top corner incisors.
Eight years – The hook and the black hollow centres on the teeth have both
disappeared.
This is where ageing becomes slightly less accurate.
Ten years – This is where the galvaynes groove appears on the top of the corner
incisors and begins to grow downwards.
Thirteen – This is where a hook appears which very similar to the one which
appears when the horse was seven.
Fifteen – By now the galvaynes groove has reached half way down the teeth.
Twenty – The galvaynes groove has reached the bottom of the teeth.
Twenty five – The galvaynes groove has disappeared from the top half of the
teeth.
To tell the age of any horse
Inspect the lower jaw of course;
The six front teeth the tale will tell,
And every doubt and fear dispel.
Two middle nippers you behold
Before the colt is two weeks old;
Before eight weeks two more will come
Eight months the corners cut the gum.
The outside grooves will disappear
From middle two in just one year.
In two years from the second pair
In three years "corners" too are bare.
At two the middle "Nippers" drop
At three the second pair can't stop;
When four years old the third pair goes,
At five a full new set he shows.
The deep black spots will pass from view
At six years from the middle two;
The second pair at seven years;
At eight the spot each corner clears.
From middle "Nippers" upper jaw
At nine the black spots will withdraw.
The second pair at ten are bright,
Eleven finds the corners light.
As time goes on the horseman knows
The oval teeth three sided-grows,
The longer get project before
Till twenty, when they know no more.
Baby Horse Teeth
Foals get their deciduous teeth shortly after birth. The final milk teeth are
grown in by the time the foal is about nine months old. The first permanent
teeth begin to grow in when the horse is between two and three years old. It's
not unusual for a horse owner to find a shed tooth in a feeder or on the ground.
The milk teeth are shed gradually, and all of the permanent teeth are grown in
by around age five. Milk teeth are paler in color and shorter than permanent
teeth.
Adult Horse Teeth
The new permanent teeth are quite concave on their surfaces and these 'cups'
along with the angle, shape and a groove on the outer vertical surface that
gradually grows out, called Galyvane's groove, are the indicators of how old a
horse might be.
As the horse wears its teeth by grazing, the concave surfaces are worn flatter.
By the time a horse is about eleven years old, it will have worn its teeth flat.
How quickly this happens depends on the type of grazing it has available. Horses
that graze grass on sandy ground will wear their teeth flatter than those fed
only hay grown on clay type soil.
At about age ten, the Galvayne's groove begins to appear at the gum line. This
groove will continue to grow out so that reaches the entire length of the tooth.
By about age fifteen, the groove will reach half-way down the tooth. By the time
a horse is in its mid-twenties the Galvayne's grove begins to disappear from the
gum line, and if the horse lives long enough will disappear completely as the
tooth naturally wears away.
Senior Horse Teeth
As the horse ages, the angle of the teeth increases. The milk teeth are short
and straight as are the newly erupted permanent teeth but as the horse ages, the
teeth become more angled. This is where the saying 'long in the tooth' comes
from, because as the angle increases, so does that length from gum line to
chewing surface. The teeth also change in shape from oval, to more angular as
the horse ages. The color of the teeth will probably be quite yellowed and
stained. At some point after their late twenties, a horse may start losing
teeth. Horse's teeth don't really grow for their whole lives, but have a
lifespan of their own. A domestic horse may actually outlive the lifespan of its
teeth. As the horse loses more teeth, its health may suffer. It may be less able
to chew tougher hays and grasses and require a diet tailored for older horses.
Extra Horse Teeth
Some horses may grow wolf teeth and tushes or canines. These are extra teeth
that grow in the toothless bar of the horse's mouth between the front teeth and
back. Sometimes these teeth may have to be removed if they interfere with the
bit or cause discomfort for the horse. These teeth usually come in by the time
the horse is five years of age. Some horses will not have them at all, or for
some, they may not be a problem.
Care of Horse Teeth
Because horse's teeth grow throughout most of their lifespan and may not wear
evenly, your horse will need to be checked by a veterinarian or equine dentist
about once per year. Your horse may need to be floated, removing any sharp edges
or hooks that will prevent him from chewing properly.
Here's another version!
To tell the age of any horse
Inspect the lower jaw of course
Two middle nippers you'll behold
Before the colt is two weeks old
Before six weeks two more will come
Twelve months the corners cut the gum
At two the middle nippers drop
At three the second pair cant stop
At four years old the side pair shows
At five a full new mouth he grows
Black spots will pass from view
At six years from the middle two
The side two pairs at sever years
And eight will find the corners clear
The middle nipper upper jaw
At nine the black spots will withdraw
At ten years old the sides are light
Eleven finds the corners white
As time goes on horsemen know
The oval teeth three sided grow
They longer get project before
'Till twenty when we know no more!
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debby@lilbeginnings.com
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