The use of incisor teeth to age horses dates to 600 BC. Recently, there has been some doubt as to the accuracy of using incisor changes to accurately age horse, impacted by the principally by diet. These authors from Shahid Chamron University in Iran studied 78 Arabian fillies and mares, aged 15 days to 24 years. They photographed the incisors from the side and the occlusal surfaces of the lower incisors, and Galvayne’s groove and corner incisor hooks, if present. The crown length of the incisors was also measured using a digital caliper. The authors used guidelines described by Dyce et al, 2018, Nicks et al, 2007 and Muylle et al, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2007.
They determined that in their population incisor eruption, appearance and disappearance of the cup, and Galvanye’s groove were more reliable than using the dental star, enamel spot and hook to age horses. As expected, the crown length was greatest in the central incisor and lowest in the corner incisor, and increased with age in all incisors. The correlation of estimated age through dentition was very strong.
Age estimation of Arabian mares by incisors morphometry and dentition changes. Khazaeel et al from Shahid Chamron University in Iran, published in Veterinary Research Communications, 2021 Nov 30. doi: 10.1007/s11259-021-09865-5.
