Equine Mouth

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Horses have between 36 and 44 teeth depending on varying factors.

Incisors (front teeth)

Every horse should have 12 incisors. These are used for tearing the grass from the ground. All 12 incisors erupt as baby teeth when the horse is a foal, and then are later replaced by permanent adult teeth.

Canines

The canines (if present) sit in between the incisors and molars. Males tend to have 4 of these and they are rare in females. They usually erupt between 4-5 years of age.

Wolf Teeth

If a horse has wolf teeth, these sit just in front of the first molars. Some horses have wolf teeth and others don’t. If they do, they usually get 1 or 2 and these are usually upper ones. If a horse is going to have wolf teeth, these will have erupted by 18 months of age. They are very small teeth that lie where the bit sits, which is why they are so troublesome. Removal is recommended before bitting commences. This can be done relatively easily, but the horse must be sedated and be under veterinary supervision.

Molars (back teeth)

Horses have 24 of these. The front 12 erupt as baby teeth, before being replaced with the adult teeth. The molars are used to grind up the food to aid digestion.

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Normal chewing involves firstly nipping off grass with the incisors and then passing the food back to cheek teeth with tongue. Horses don’t chew up and down like humans, but in a sideways and circular motion – only 1 side is used per mouthful.

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The perfect horse will use both sides evenly, but often horses prefer to chew on one side. This may be due to discomfort on one side or just natural preference, but can lead to dental problems.

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