1. Age of Equine
It’s All in the Teeth

2. 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

3. 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

5. 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

6. The Numbers Make the Difference
Immature horses – Total 24 temporary teeth
Mature horses – Total permanent teeth
Stallions & Geldings – permanents
Wolf Tooth (Canine) – appears in front of upper molar teeth. Accounts for difference

9. 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

10. 4 years -. Temporary intermediate 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

18. 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.