Horse Aging Using Teeth

Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office

By: Mr. Tim Savelle, Jennifer Osborne, and Dr. Frank Flanders

July 2006

The Importance of Determining the Age of Horses

Uses:• Validate advertised age when buying• Confirming age when racing or showing• Feeding for proper nutrition at various life

stages

Aging by Teeth

• An art that requires skill and experience• Very old method of aging horses• Error increases with horse’s age• Becomes an educated guess after horse is older than 14 years• Stabled horses tend to appear younger (less tooth wear)• Pastured horses tend to appear older (more tooth wear)

Equine Tooth Structure

Horses have 24 temporary teeth and 42 permanent teeth

Canines

Incisors

Wolf Tooth (when present)

Mandible PremolarsMolars

Maxilla

Equine Tooth Structure

Age is determined using the 12 front teeth (incisors)

Central Incisors

(also pincers or nippers)Intermediate

IncisorsCorner Incisors

Mouthing a Horse for Age

In Real Life: Hold the tongue out and to the side with your hand. This restraint provides an unobstructed view and is not painful to the horse.

Tooth EmergenceTemporary Teeth (Baby Teeth)

Temporary pincers: Birth - 10 days

Temporary intermediates: 4 – 6 weeks

Temporary corners: 6– 10 months

Tooth EmergencePermanent Teeth

6 years old

Canine teeth appear: 4-5 years

Permanent corners: 4 ½ years Permanent

intermediates: 3 ½ years

Permanent pincers: 2 ½ years

Tooth Wear

As horses age, “cups” disappear from incisors

As horses age, teeth become more triangular-shaped

15 years old6 years old

Galvayne’s Groove

A mark on the upper corner incisors that appears and disappears in a predictable pattern as horses age

Usually appears around the age of 10 years.

Galvayne’s Groove

A mark on the upper corner incisors that appears and disappears in a predictable pattern as horses age

Groove is usually half way down at age 15

Galvayne’s Groove

A mark on the upper corner incisors that appears and disappears in a predictable pattern as horses age

By age 20 the groove usually extends the full length of the

tooth

Galvayne’s Groove

A mark on the upper corner incisors that appears and disappears in a predictable pattern as horses age

Groove begins to recede around age 21

Galvayne’s Groove

A mark on the upper corner incisors that appears and disappears in a predictable pattern as horses age

Groove is halfway gone by age 25 and disappears completely

around age 30.

Aging Using Teeth

Determine the most likely age for the following horse

1. 7 years

2. 14 years

3. 21 years

4. 28 years

Wear – No Cups

Aging Using Teeth

Determine the most likely age for the following horse

1. 1 year

2. 8 years

3. 17 years

4. 26 yearsOval Shaped

Teeth

No Canines

Aging Using TeethWhich horse is older?

A

B