Recently I had the opportunity to learn from Jerry Schmidt about telling a horse's age by understanding and reading the teeth. I learned that there is a world of knowledge inside the horse's mouth that can help me communicate better with my horse. I cannot fit all of what I learned in this short article, but I would like to share the insight that knowing even a little about how your young horse's teeth develop can improve your training and communication.
From birth to 5 years old the horse's mouth is in constant growth:
- Teeth erupting and shedding caps: At 1-2 years, most of the permanent molars are erupting and coming into wear before they lose their baby teeth (caps);
- Formation of bumps under the chin (premolars pushing off caps) at approximately 3 years;
- At ages 3 to 4, the last of the permanent molars are erupting and coming into wear;
- At 4 to 5 ½, the canines have completed their eruption, and with the exception some of the larger breeds, most horses have all their adult teeth in wear.
- All of these growth events cause inflammation in the gums, bars and skeletal structure surrounding the teeth.
You may have noticed large lumps under the jaws of young horses at around 3 years. This is a sign of the molars developing, and this area can be very sensitive from age 3 to 5 years old. Even a loose-fitting nose band is likely to cause a horse discomfort. The canine teeth are also starting to erupt at this time causing the bars of the mouth to be sensitive as well. Using a bit during this phase is less than ideal.
Doing your foundation training with a rope halter/hackamore or bitless bridle is a great way to ensure that you are not inviting resistance. Develop your horse in a sympathetic and unhurried way while his mouth is developing, and you will give him time to mature, bringing out the best in him as a performance and pleasure horse.
(Originally published July 2014)
