Horse teeth age will have between 36 and 44 teeth. All equines are heterodontous, which means that they have different shaped teeth for different purposes. All horses have twelve incisors at the front of the mouth, used primarily for cutting food, most often grass, whilst grazing. 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 is placed, if used, when horses are ridden. Behind the interdental
Horse teeth or baby teeth) soon after birth, with these being replaced by permanent teeth by the age of approximately five years old. The horse will normally have 24 deciduous teeth, emerging in pairs, and eventually pushed out by the permanent teeth, which normally number between 36 and 40. As the deciduous teeth are pushed up, they are termed "caps". Caps will eventually shed on their own, but may cause discomfort when still loose, requiring extraction. It is possible to estimate the age of a young horse by observing the pattern of teeth in the mouth, based on which teeth have erupted,