Galvayne's groove and the presence of a hook on the upper corner incisors are poor indicators of age in horse teeth

Abstract

Galvayne's groove and the dental hook are two characteristic features of the upper corner incisors of horses. Both characteristics have traditionally been claimed to appear at specific ages and have therefore often been used for dental age determination. Recent studies, however, have questioned the accuracy of these criteria and concluded that the presence of a 7-year-hook is irrelevant for estimation of age in horses, whereas Galvayne's groove may be a useful adjunct after all other morphological criteria have been considered. The present paper intends to illustrate the variable appearance of both characteristics in the dentition of Standardbred, Arabian and Belgian draft horses and in mini-Shetlandponies (n = 490) ranging in age from 5 to 28 years old.