Muylle S, Simoens P, Lauwers H
Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Belgium.
Vet Rec. 1996 Mar 30;138(13):295-301. doi: 10.1136/vr.138.13.295.
It is generally considered that the age of a horse can be determined by examining its incisor teeth. However, the criteria used to determine age from dental configurations differ widely. The existence of this variety of rules and guidelines was the challenge for the present examination. Detailed descriptions of the incisor teeth of 212 horses of registered age were recorded and the results were compared with the age criteria of various authors. The time at which teeth were shed and the appearance of dental stars seemed to be more reliable features than the disappearance of the cups. The disappearance of the marks occurred four years later than usually stated. Other criteria, such as the presence of the seven-year notch and Galvayne's groove, were too variable and inconsistent to be reliable for the determination of age.
一般认为，可以通过检查马的切齿来确定其年龄。然而，根据牙齿形态确定年龄所使用的标准差异很大。存在如此多样的规则和指南是本次研究的挑战所在。记录了212匹登记年龄马匹切齿的详细描述，并将结果与不同作者的年龄标准进行了比较。牙齿脱落的时间和齿星的出现似乎比齿杯的消失更具可靠性。标记的消失比通常所说的时间晚了四年。其他标准，如七年切迹和加尔维恩沟的存在，过于多变且不一致，无法可靠地用于确定年龄。
