Origins of equine dentistry

Area of Science:

• Archaezoology
• Paleopathology
• History of Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• Domestic horses revolutionized Eurasian societies, impacting transport, communication, and warfare.
• Equine dentistry is crucial for modern horse care, particularly for riding.
• Mongolian herders today practice dentistry, including deciduous tooth and wolf tooth removal.

Observation:

• Archaezoological data from 3,200 years of equine remains were analyzed.
• Evidence of human modification on deciduous incisors in Late Bronze Age horses suggests attempted removal.
• Premolar (wolf tooth) removal in horses first appears around 750 BCE.

Findings:

• Attempted removal of malerupted deciduous incisors coincided with the adoption of horseback riding in Mongolia.
• The earliest direct evidence for veterinary dentistry dates to approximately 1150 BCE.
• The introduction of jointed bits parallels the practice of premolar extraction.

Implications:

• Nomadic innovations in equine dental care facilitated sophisticated mounted riding and warfare.
• These findings represent the earliest dated evidence of veterinary dentistry.
• Ancient equine dental practices highlight the long-standing human-animal relationship in pastoral societies.