Editing Horse teeth (section)

== Types of teeth ==

[[Image:Palatum horse.JPG|thumb|Upper half of an immature horse's mouth]]
A fully developed horse of around five years of age will have between 36 and 44 teeth.  All equines are [[heterodont]]ous, which means that they have different shaped teeth for different purposes.  
All horses have twelve [[incisor]]s at the front of the mouth, used primarily for cutting food, most often grass, whilst [[grazing]].<ref name=UPence2002>{{citation |year=2002 |author=Patricia Pence |title=Equine Dentistry: A Practical Guide |place=Baltimore |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |isbn=0-683-30403-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o4KVGceXBNIC&q=%22Equine+dentistry%22 }}</ref>  They are also used as part of a horse's attack or defence against predators, or as part of establishing social hierarchy within the herd.

Immediately behind the front incisors is the interdental space, where no teeth grow from the gums. This is where the [[bit (horse)|bit]] is placed, if used, when horses are ridden.

Behind the interdental space, all horses also have twelve [[premolar]]s and twelve [[molar (tooth)|molar]]s, also known as cheek teeth or jaw teeth.<ref name="UPence2002" />  These teeth chew food bitten off by incisors, prior to swallowing.

In addition to the incisors, premolars and molars, some, but not all, horses may also have [[canine teeth]] and [[wolf teeth]].  A horse can have between zero and four canine teeth, also known as tusks (tushes), with a clear prevalence towards male horses ([[stallion]]s and [[gelding]]s) who normally have a full set of four.  Fewer than 28% of female horses ([[mare]]s) have any canine teeth. Those that do normally only have one or two, and these may be only partially erupted.<ref name=Cirelli>{{citation |author=Al Cirelli |title=Equine Dentition |place=Nevada |publisher=University of Nevada |url=http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ag/2000/sp0008.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225021041/http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ag/2000/sp0008.pdf |archive-date=2016-02-25 |url-status=live |access-date=7 June 2010}}</ref>

Between 13 and 32% of horses, split equally between male and female, also have wolf teeth, which are not related to canine teeth, but are [[vestigial]] first premolars.  Wolf teeth are more common on the upper jaw, and can present a problem for horses in work, as they can interfere with the bit.  They may also make it difficult during [[equine dentistry]] work to rasp the second premolar, and are frequently removed.<ref name="UPence2002" />