Thus, when it is treated, the horse feels no pain. We already have discussed the fact that a horse's tooth is hypsodont. In humans, the crown of a tooth extends only to the gum line. With the horse, the crown extends nearly four inches into the jawbone. They have receded down into the root and, basically, the root has just closed off.
Females normally have the same complement as males, minus the canine teeth.
Throughout the horse's life, its teeth are pushed upward from the lower jaw and downward from the upper as the surface of the crown within the mouth is worn away. This wearing away takes place as the horse chews. When the horse chews, its lower jaw, which is somewhat narrower than the upper, moves back and forth laterally, grinding the food as lower teeth come into contact with the uppers. As long as there is full lateral movement or excursion of the jaw, normal teeth will wear off evenly. When there isn't full excursion, they tend to wear unevenly, and that can produce problems.