Wolf teeth are small, primordial first premolars that erupt when a horse midway through it’s yearling year. These are not to be confused with canine teeth which erupt when a horse (typically a male) is between 4-6 years old. Most horses will only develop upper wolf teeth, but the special few may develop lower wolf teeth. In addition some horses will have “blind” wolf teeth. A blind wolf tooth is typically located more forward and lateral than an ordinary wolf tooth. Blind wolf teeth are frequently diagnosed as a source of bitting issues.

Wolf teeth are typically extracted before a young horse is bitted as these teeth may create discomfort when pressure from a bit is placed on them. Most upper wolf teeth are typically extracted during routine farm calls under standing sedation with a lidocaine block. We recognize that the majority of horses are unlikely to have a bitting problem if the teeth are left. Furthermore, we also recognize that these teeth are often shed with the deciduous upper 06s (second premolar). Nevertheless, many horse trainers prefer to have wolf teeth extracted by KEVDS veterinarians to rule them out as a cause of future bitting problems.

Occasionally, we encounter horses that are regularly ridden with bits that still have upper wolf teeth. If the riders are having no bitting or bridling difficulty with the horse, we do not feel that these wolf teeth require extraction as clearly the horse is getting along well with them. As always, checking for wolf teeth is part of a thorough oral exam and as such should always be performed to ensure that the horse can perform pain free.