How to age a horse, how to tell the age of a horse or pony

• To tell a horses age or to age a horse as it is called, we look at its teeth.

•  Because a horses lifestyle means it is almost continually grazing its teeth naturally grow continually and are worn down. Because of this the horses teeth gradually change throughout his life which allows us to tell its age.

•  Ageing a horse by looking at his teeth is very accurate up to the age of eight and after that it is only the approximate age.

• The adult horse has 40 teeth, which consists of 24 molars, twelve incisors and male horses have four tusks. Sometimes the horse may also have four wolf teeth.

• Ageing 

• One year – the horse has six new milk teeth in each jaw. 

• Two years – the horse has a complete set of milk teeth which are now worn. 

• Three years – the two centre milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. 

• Four years – the next two milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. 

• Five years – the two corner milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. 

• Six years – The corner incisors are in wear and you have the dental star present on the centre incisors. 

• Seven years – You have a small hook appear on the top corner incisors. 

• Eight years – The hook and the black hollow centres on the teeth have both disappeared. 

• This is where ageing becomes slightly less accurate. 

• Ten years – This is where the galvaynes groove appears on the top of the corner incisors and begins to grow downwards.

• Thirteen – This is where a hook appears which very similar to the one which appears when the horse was seven. 

• Fifteen – By now the galvaynes groove has reached half way down the teeth.

• Twenty – The galvaynes groove has reached the bottom of the teeth.

• Twenty five – The galvaynes groove has disappeared from the top half of the teeth.