There are three kinds of teeth found in the horse, the incisors, the
canine and the molars.
The Incisors, or front teeth, situated in the front part of the mouth
just inside the lips, are twelve in number, six above and six below.
The Canine, or bridle teeth, are often absent in the mare. They are
four in number, two in the upper and two in the lower jaw, one on
each side about two inches back from the incisor teeth. They are from
a quarter to three-quarters of an inch above the gum, are round and
pointed and of no particular use. They resemble the eye teeth of other
animals.
The Molars, or back teeth, are twenty-four in number, six on each side
in the upper and six on each side in the lower jaw. With these the food
is ground and masticated.
Wolf Teeth are two small, round, pointed temporary teeth which vary in
size in different animals, situated one on each side in front of the
molars or back teeth in the upper jaw.
TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT TEETH.--The horse has two sets of teeth. The
milk are temporary and are those that the colt sheds; while those that
come in and remain without being shed are called the permanent teeth.
The cutting of the teeth of the foal varies, but at or within nine
days after birth he has four front teeth, two in the center above and
two below, and in the back part of the mouth twelve molars. At from
seven to nine weeks four more incisors or front teeth appear, one at
each side of the two center teeth in each jaw. At nine months he gets
the last of his milk or temporary teeth, these being the corner teeth,
two in the upper side and two in the lower side of the jaw. At this
time he has his full set of milk temporary teeth, consisting of twelve
molars or grinders and twelve incisors or front teeth, six above and
six below, making twenty-four in all. As the colt advances in age he
sheds all these teeth. He then commences to get permanent teeth. When
the age of one year is reached, four permanent molars appear, two in
each jaw, one on each side, behind the three temporary teeth. At two
years of age he gets four more back molars, one on each side of each
jaw. When the age of two years and nine months is reached the two
middle teeth of the temporary incisors, or front teeth of each jaw
fall out, and are replaced by two permanent incisors in each jaw; thus
at the age of three years these four permanent incisors are up and in
wear. At this age, the first eight molars, two on each side of each
jaw, are shed and replaced by eight permanent molars. At four years of
age he sheds four more front or incisor teeth next to those shed at
three years, and these are replaced by four more permanent incisors or
front teeth. At this age, too, he sheds the four remaining temporary
molars, or grinders, which are replaced by four more permanent molars.
He also gets four more permanent molars at the back of the mouth. Thus
at the age of four years the colt has a full set of permanent molars,
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