Equine Teeth

 eventually all that is visible is a small hole called the dental star. This is actually part of the pulp cavity in the tooth and usually becomes visible after eight years of age. Horses under 11 have lower incisors with an oval shape, but in horses over 11, the incisors develop a more triangular shape, and eventually as they wear they become more rectangular. 

Galvayne’s Groove 

The Galvayne’s Groove is a groove that appears on the third incisor of each quadrant, further helping to age horses. Galvayne’s Groove begins to descend from the gumline at about age ten, is halfway down the tooth around age 15, and is all the way down the tooth by age 20. At 25 years it is half gone, and at 30 years it is completely gone. Aging horses by their teeth over the age of approximately 28 is next to impossible as there is very little tooth left to examine.

Chewing and feed choices

Horse owners know that a barn full of horses munching on hay is the foundation of a contented barn. Chewing is not only important for adequate nutrition, it’s also important for the mental health of horses. Forage quality in terms of nutrient density and digestibility has improved significantly in recent decades due to genetic selection in forage species and the agronomic practices of forage growers, and it has become possible to feed even performance horses a diet that consists of mostly good hay. The selection of the best hay to meet the needs of your horses will bring them health benefits, including the need to chew. Consider choosing hay based on not only the analytes of crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), and digestible energy (DE), but also those of the fibre values of acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as well. Lower ADF/NDF hays (under 35 percent ADF on a dry matter basis) will tend to have higher energy and digestibility as well as require less chewing. Remember that while each mouthful will require less chewing the horse may consume more mouthfuls, which can facilitate increased energy intake for the performance horse, senior horse, or growing horse.

Alternatively, you could select hays with a higher ADF/NDF (over 35 percent ADF on a dry matter basis on your lab report) if you want to limit intake and encourage chewing for the more sedentary pleasure horse.

Research findings and anecdotal evidence support the hypothesis that horses grazed full-time may need less maintenance of their teeth than stabled horses eating mixed diets of forage and concentrates. The reality though is that our lifestyle often demands that our horses be stabled, so a horse owner must be diligent in attending to their horse’s dental health. Once a year dental exams may be enough for most horses but if your senior horse is quidding, which is dropping mouthfuls of food out of his mouth, or is having a hard time maintaining body weight, then it may be necessary to invest in increased dental examinations.

Choose hay that best supports the nutritional needs of your horse but remember to include ADF and NDF in your decision-making. Take note of how well your horse is eating, how much time it takes for him to consume a meal of hay, and if he is “sorting” or leaving any behind. And finally, ask your veterinarian to show you what’s going on inside your horse’s mouth when doing his yearly dental exam. Consider taking a picture for your records, then use it to gain a better understanding of your horse’s teeth and how they affect his health and well-being.