Your average adult horse (>5yrs) can have anywhere from 36 to 44 teeth. Mares will most often have 36 teeth, while geldings and stallions can vary between 40 and 44 teeth. A horse's mouth is broken up into 4 separate sections known as arcades. Each arcade is made up of 3 Incisors, 1 Canine (sometimes), 3 or 4 Premolars, and 3 Molars. Here are a few diagrams for you to reference:
Canine teeth are normally only found in male horses but can be found in some mares. The first Premolar is referred to as a 'Wolf Tooth' and is a vestigial tooth, meaning that horses today have no use for it. It is normally only present in male horses and they are usually only found in the upper jaw. However... wolf teeth can be present in some mares, absent in some male horses, and found in both the upper and lower jaws. These teeth are routinely removed as they can cause problems when training a horse to a bit.
If you have any other questions about this topic please feel free to post them to the comments or email us at legacyequinehospital.com
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