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Age of Equine. It’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
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Age of Equine It’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.