How Do You Tell A Horses Age By Its Teeth?
Traditionally a horse’s age has always been determined by looking at his teeth. Unscrupulous horse dealers would try and change a horse’s teeth to disguise his true age. Modern advances in equine dentistry, breed associations and micro chipping have given horse buyers and breeders other, highly reliable resources for learning the true age of a horse. Nonetheless, being able to estimate a horse’s age from his teeth is still a valuable skill. Read on to learn more. Check to see if the last molar has erupted. If the last molar has erupted the horse is at least 5 years old. Premolars are present at birth and are replaced by the first permanent molars at 2 1/2 years of age. At 3, the second molar erupts and between 3 and 4 years the third premolar. Look at the wear on the chewing surface, or cups, of the lower incisors. The cups are the dentine-filled ovals in the center of the teeth, that are surrounded by enamel. Starting at three years of age the cups will start to wear down approximatel
