Some things that you might not know:
- The money you spend using a good qualified dentist could be saved on your annual feed bill.
- Most horses should receive 6 monthly checks and routine maintenance.
- Your horses teeth grow between 2-4mm each year.
- All foals are born with 12 teeth called pre-molars
- Teeth start to grow when the foal is just 6 days old.
- Your horse will shed and replace 24 teeth between the age of 2 1/2 and 5 years old. Also 12 new teeth will grow.
- All horses should have a minimum of 36 teeth. There should be 12 incisors, 12 pre-molars and 12 molars. They may also have 4 canines and 4 wolf teeth.
- When a horse reaches 18 years old his teeth will start to expire and wear out.
- The Wolf teeth serve no useful purpose, they do not need to be removed unless they interfere with the bit or cause the horse distress.
- Mares can get canine teeth but these are usually blind and remain below the gum line.
- In mares canine teeth may also be a sign that they have a hormone inbalance and possibly a high level of testosterone.
- Not all horses get wolf teeth which are a remnant from the prehistoric development of the horse.
- Floating is the term used when carrying out procedures using rasps.
- A horse with poorly maintained teeth could be eating 25% or more food each day than he actually needs.
- Equine dental arcades are numbered in the same way as human teeth.
