Horse Aging Using Teeth Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office By: Mr. Tim Savelle,...
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Transcript of Horse Aging Using Teeth Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office By: Mr. Tim Savelle,...
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