How To Age A Horse By Its Teeth
Horses are amazing creatures that can live for many years. They are considered to be a long-lived animal, and their teeth help them survive for long periods of time. You may not know that it is possible to tell how old your horse is just by observing its teeth! Understanding what these changes look like will help you keep track of the age of your horse and ensure that it stays healthy throughout its life.
Observe the incisors.
The incisors are the four front teeth of your horse. They’re typically the first teeth to appear in a horse’s mouth, and they’re also the teeth closest to their tongue. The incisors are important because they help horses eat hay and grasses, so they need to be strong enough to break up food.
As you age your horse by its teeth, you can tell how old it is based on when these incisors first appear. For example, if your horse has been born with no permanent front incisors at all—meaning that he hasn’t even grown any yet—then this means either he’s very young or he’s been born with some sort of developmental problem (like cleft palate).
On the other hand, if your horse already has several permanent front incisors but still has baby molars growing from his gums (which can happen around five years old), then this means that he’s between five and six years old at least—but probably older than that!
Look at the canines.
Canines are the teeth that are closest to the front of a horse’s mouth. In some horses, they look like sharp fangs. If you see this, you can be pretty sure your horse is older than five years old.
If you have a yearling and want to guess how old it is by its teeth, just count back from five: if it has four canines on top (and no premolars), then it’s 4 years old; if there are three canines on top (and no premolars), then it’s 3 years old; etc., until you get to one canine on top with no premolars or molars present at all—which means your horse is 1 year old!
Examine the premolars.
If you’re looking for the telltale signs of aging, it’s time to look at the premolars. As the second-largest teeth in a horse’s mouth, these molars are used for chewing and grinding food. They’re also the last teeth to erupt—meaning that horses who have lost their first set of baby teeth (or “milk” teeth) will already have a full set of permanent adult premolars.
As far as wear goes, if your horse has any broken or discolored premolars you should be concerned about its age. Premolars often show signs of being worn down long before other teeth do; this is because they are constantly being used while eating hay or grasses that contain abrasive particles like sand and dirt. This constant exposure can cause wear on them, which means they’ll need regular care from a veterinarian or farrier who specializes in equine dental health!
Gaze at the molars.
When you look at the back of a horse’s mouth, you’ll see teeth that are larger than those in the front. These are the molars (see Figure 3). Molars have a wider crown with a high crown angle than other teeth. They also have a large pulp cavity and don’t erupt until after age 4 or 5.
Molars are used for grinding food before swallowing it–this is why they’re so large compared to other types of teeth. The last molar erupts around age 26 for an average-sized horse, but some horses can still be wearing their third molars as much as 40 years later!
As horses age, their teeth change in appearance in physical ways that you can look at and observe
When you first look at a horse’s teeth, they may appear to be identical to those of other horses of different ages. However, as the horse ages, its teeth change in appearance in physical ways that you can look at and observe. The crowns will become shorter and more rounded as the animal ages, which is why this method of aging an equine is called “tooth wear.”
The most reliable way to figure out how old your horse is using tooth wear is by comparing them with other horses whose age has been determined by other means (such as from birth records or weaning records). You can also compare your horse’s teeth with those of its own siblings if any exist; this way you can get an idea about what kind of growth cycle your mare goes through before she reaches puberty at approximately two years old.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this information will give you a better understanding of how to age a horse by its teeth. If you have any questions or concerns about your own horse’s teeth, please don’t hesitate to contact us at our office. We’re here to help!