I know its possible to determine whether a horse is under or over the age of 7 years but how can you differentiate between the ages of, say 11 and 15 years?
2007-02-11 23:48:12 · 12 answers · asked by sdbry 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
There are certain identifying marks that appear around specific ages. The size and shape of the dental cup and star change. The shape of the incisor table changes. The angulation and curtature change. The hook comes and goess at specific ages. The Galvayne Groove is less reliable but may be the only indicator in an older horse, about 20 - 30.
The dental star is the main indicator through the ages you listed. The star appears as a dark yellow line in the dentine of the central incisor at 8 years. It appears in the intermediate incisors at 9 and the corners at 10 years. The star moves to the center of the lower incisors by age 13. It becomes round dark and distinct at 15 years.
All and all you either need a lot of practice or a very good chart to read from. I found plenty of people who think they know what they're doing and end up off by 5 to 10 years.
2007-02-12 02:46:21 · answer #1 · answered by emily 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can tell by wear but better is to view the front teeth from the profile. They get longer as the horse ages. There are many books with examples of this that you can look at. That is where the expression " A little long in the tooth" comes from.Between 11 and 15 I'd say wear would be the best indicator.
2007-02-12 08:33:55 · answer #2 · answered by Born2Bloom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The wearing down of the Horses teeth are the main thing used to judge the age! That can differ greatly between 11 and 15 years.
2007-02-12 07:59:39 · answer #3 · answered by willowGSD 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Equine teeth constantly grow, un-like ours. the teeth get a lot of wear and tear from chewing on food. teeth change shape and the top surface changes as the horse gets older. which is how the vet/groom can age a horse. as for the most definite way again an experienced vet or groom will be able to estimate the age to about 6-9months either way which isn't bad really. also every horse must have a passport (in the UK/EU) from birth, so getting the age right is a lot easier.
2007-02-12 08:04:57 · answer #4 · answered by Cruz 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As they age and wear down their teeth, the dark part of the tooth becomes larger and the position of the teeth can change a bit. Someone who knows how these changes occur can estimate a horses age by looking at the teeth
2007-02-12 11:09:07 · answer #5 · answered by MyNutmeg 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A horses teeth wear down as they get older,and they grind there food,and thats how they chew.So a 11 year old's teeth would be not as bad as a 15 year olds teeth,and you can tell by a horse's teeth if they are older or younger than 7.Glad I could help,and I hope I got best answer.
2007-02-12 10:41:24 · answer #6 · answered by Brittany F D 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the older the horse the more the gum recedes exposing more tooth, which is where the expression long in the tooth comes from. also the hind molars grind down. it does hoever become very difficult to age a horse by its teeth when they get to about ten
2007-02-13 17:24:16 · answer #7 · answered by Samantha T 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you are said to be long in the tooth, it means your getting old. I think it comes from the horses keepers. I think an old horse is long in the tooth. But I could be wrong, it has been known.
2007-02-12 08:10:01 · answer #8 · answered by Hi T 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its th3e way in which the molars are shapped, constant chewing over the years results in different shapes of the teeth at each stage of the horses life.
2007-02-12 08:13:18 · answer #9 · answered by Just Emma 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the calcium content.same has with then bones.thats how you
can tell if a horse is health and what age.
2007-02-12 07:56:12 · answer #10 · answered by peter o 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋