Equine teeth - help please!

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GinGin

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Are horses teeth the same as ours in that they lose their baby teeth?

My boy was 3 in June and the other night one of his back teeth came out. He ate his dinner, then I gave him a piece of carrot. He was chucking the carrot to the front of his mouth which I thought was strange as I had cut it to about an inch long anyway. Then a tooth dropped the floor and he carried on with the carrot quite happily.

Is that normal?
 
The horse, like most other mammals, have two sets of teeth during their life. They are born with one set of baby or decidious teeth (or get them from the age of a few weeks/months), and until a new and expanded set of permanent teeth replaces them gradually. In the full set of teeth in an adult horse each quadrant of the mouth contains 3 incisors, 1 canine (not always), 1 wolf tooth (may or may not be present), 3 premolars and 3 molars. The temporomandibular joint is also marked as this joint can be affected by dental problems and also cause them. The premolars are molars that had precursors before them (baby teeth or decidious teeth), the molars come in addition in the grown horse.
 
errrrrm thanks. So that's a yes they have baby teeth, yes they lose their baby teeth, and yes it's normal?? Or.....
 
yes they usually loose there baby teeth around the age of 3 and then start growing is adult teeth all i can say is if he is being ridden be careful the bit dont hurt his teeth!
 
Yes, absolutely normal.
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Thanks peeps. No he won't be backed until next spring. I will keep the bridle off for a while and do any training in a cavesson. Thanks.
 
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