Much like humans, a horse’s body changes as it ages. Other Factors to Consider When Aging a Horse The incisors will become longer and more angled as the horse goes into his senior years. The length and shape of the teeth also give a good indication of a horse’s age. This is a line that begins near the gums and slowly moves down the tooth.Ī groove halfway down would indicate a horse is around 15 years old, and by the age of 20, the groove has made its way to the end of the tooth. They will start appearing on the second incisors as the horse turns nine and creep onto the outer ones between years ten and twelve.īy the age of eleven, the upper incisors begin to form a hook on the back underside of the tooth, as well as the appearance of what is known as Galvayne’s Groove. They start out as a thin dark line in front of the cup and become larger and more oval-shaped with time.īy the age of eight, dental stars will have become very noticeable. Dental stars first appear on the lower central incisors when the horse reaches six years of age. When all of the cups have worn away, a horse is approximately eight to ten years old.Īnother mark that can aid us in judging a horse’s age is the dental star. When the horse ages another year, the pair just to the outside of the middle teeth will wear away next, and so on. Teeth Marks Indicating a Horse’s ageįor example, by the time a horse is five years old, all of the incisors will have a hole in them called a cup, which is a dark spot easily seen looking down at the bottom row of teeth.Įach year, consecutively, the cup will wear away from a pair of teeth, beginning in the front center. In short, by looking into a horse’s mouth, you can see several defining features that give you a rough estimate of the age.
Here is a basic video showing you how to age a horse by it’s teeth: There are many useful YouTube videos available to help understand how to determine the age of a horse by looking at the teeth. Using a Horse’s Teeth to Estimate it’s AgeĪ horse’s incisors (the six front teeth) have unique changes as years pass that give clues about their age. However, in the event that these are not available, there are alternate methods to determining the approximate age of a horse. In some countries such as the United Kingdom, the law requires all horses to be microchipped, which can also be used to check for the horse’s age.
If a horse has registration papers or a passport for travel, the age or date of birth is recorded on these documents. They may begin to slow down and perform with a little less vigor, but many horses still compete very successfully well into their senior years. Read more about the different horse gender terms here.īy the time a horse is around 15 – 18 years old, most consider it to have entered the Senior stage. When they begin to grow into adolescence, they are then referred to respectively as mares, and either a stallion or gelding, depending on whether or not the colt has been castrated (gelded). In the racing world, for example, a horse becomes an adult when it reaches 5 years of age.Ī female foal is called a filly and a male foal is called a colt. However, this varies by region and the discipline the horse is used for.
Life Stages of a HorseĪ horse is not considered an adult until the age of 4 as most of their growing is not yet complete. Let’s dive into more information about the equine life stages and what you can expect as your horse matures. Find out below how long you can expect your horse to live for, how you can measure their age, and what you can do to prolong their life. With better nutrition and care, the average lifespan of horses has increased over time. It’s not uncommon for horses to live beyond 40 years of age and the oldest horse ever, Old Billy, lived to the age of 62.
The average lifespan of a horse is between 25 to 30 years, although it varies between breeds.
It seems like a match made in heaven, so now you are full of questions, wondering how long you can expect your horse to live. You have found the perfect horse for all of your equestrian pursuits.