AGING DRAFT AND TROTTER HORSES BY THEIR DENTITION

The accuracy of ageing horses by their dentition was assessed by compa ring the dental features with the known dates of birth of 212 trotter horses and 189 Belgian draft horses, The horses ranged in age from two to 25 years. In both breeds it was observed that the shedding of the incisors and the appearance of the dental stars were the most reliable features for age determination, In young animals, the dental configur ation was similar in both breeds, With increasing age the incisor teet h of draft horses were more liable to abrasion than those of trotter h orses, The sequential changes in appearance of the permanent incisors occurred earlier in draft horses than in trotters.