Page 42 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

jaw. This is then multiplied by 2 for the total number of teeth in the horse’s mouth.

VetBooks.ir DECIDUOUS OR TEMPORARY (BABY) TEETH

The young horse, therefore, has 3 incisors and 3 premolars in each side of the upper and

lower jaws, a total of 24 teeth.

PERMANENT TEETH

The full complement of adult teeth is normally present by the time the horse is 5 years of age.

The number varies between 36 and 44, depending on whether canine and wolf teeth are
present. Male horses normally have four permanent canine teeth but in mares these are
usually absent. The first premolar tooth, known as a wolf tooth, is not consistently present.

The dental formula of the adult horse is therefore variable.

There is now a more accurate system for identifying teeth individually, similar to that used by

human dentists, where each tooth has an individual number to enable specific identification.
This is illustrated in the equine dental chart shown in Figure 2.1.