J. Vet. Med.

A 46, 421–429 (1999)

© 1999 Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin
ISSN 0931–184X

Departments of Morphology and Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Belgium

Age Determination in Mini-Shetland Ponies and Donkeys

S. MUYLLE1,3, P. SIMOENS1, H. LAUWERS1 and G. VAN LOON2
Addresses of authors: Departments of 1Morphology and 2Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Ghent, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; 3Corresponding author

With 3 tables and 4 figures

(Received for publication January 14, 1999)

Summary
The accuracy of ageing mini-Shetland ponies and donkeys was assessed by correlating the appearance
of specific dental features with the known ages of 106 mini-Shetland ponies and 63 donkeys. The ages of
the animals ranged between 2 days and 26 years. In both species the eruption of the deciduous and
permanent incisors occurred later than in horses. On the other hand, the appearance of the dental stars
on the permanent incisors of mini-Shetlands and donkeys was seen at a younger age than in horses. As in
most horse breeds, the disappearance of the cups, the clinical crown lengths, the presence of hooks on the
upper corner and the presence of a Galvayne’s groove are unreliable features for dental age determination in
the pony and the donkey. Specific dental characteristics of both the mini-Shetland pony and the donkey
are discussed.

Introduction
The technique of ageing horses by examination of their incisor teeth has been practised
throughout history. Age-related dental changes of equine teeth were already documented in
600 BC and many papers dealing with this subject have been published (Zipperlen, 1871;
Galvayne, 1886; Dupont, 1901; Frateur, 1922; Marcq and Lahaye, 1943; American Association
of Equine Practitioners, 1966; Walmsley, 1993). The ability to age a horse can be important
when forecasting the useful sporting life of the horse, when purchasing the animal and for
insurance purposes. Much less attention has been paid to dental ageing of ponies and donkeys
since these animals do not belong to the group of economically important sport or meat
consumption animals.
During the last decade, however, there has been a growing interest in special species and
breeds of companion animals, such as the donkey and the mini-Shetland pony. In many
European countries national donkey and mini-Shetland pony studbooks have been founded.
For the members of these organizations, who are mostly amateur breeders, the emotional value
of their animals is of greater importance than their intrinsic economic value. Because ponies
and donkeys are mainly kept as companion animals, the use of indelible identification methods,
such as the implantation of electronic chips, is not yet obligatory for these breeds. However, as
many regional and national meetings with beauty contests are organized, it is desirable that the
animals, especially those with few external distinguishing marks such as donkeys, can be
identified unequivocally. Dental ageing can be a helpful tool in the identification process.

Materials and Methods

The incisor teeth of 106 mini-Shetland ponies and 63 donkeys with documented evidence of birth
date were examined and photographed. The ponies ranged in age from 1.5 month to 26 years and the

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422 MUYLLE et al.

donkeys ranged in age from 2 days to 20 years (Table 1). All ponies examined were registered in the Belgian
Shetland studbook and all donkeys in the Belgian Donkey studbook. All animals were kept in similar
environmental conditions. They were given access to daily pasture and during the winter they received hay
and small amounts of concentrates.
For the observation and photography of the incisors, the mouth of each animal was opened by
inserting a hand in the interdental space. The tongue was grasped and the lower lip was pushed down.
Photographs of the occlusal aspect of the lower incisor tables were taken. Subsequently the mouth was
closed and the lips were parted for rostral, left lateral and right lateral inspection and photography of the
incisor teeth.
Traditionally, horses and other equids are aged in full years, being aged as 1 year in the calendar year
following their birth (Walmsley, 1993). In the present study the ponies and donkeys have therefore been
classified into groups according to their year of birth.
It was checked whether the appearance of various dental features could be connected with the ages
of the animals. A dental characteristic was said to appear at a fixed age when more than 80 % of the
animals of that age presented the characteristic.

Results
Eruption of the deciduous incisors (Tables 2 and 3)
The central incisors generally erupt during the first 2 weeks of life, both in the mini-
Shetland pony and in the donkey. The middle incisor starts erupting at the age of 2 months in
donkeys and 4 months in mini-Shetlands. The corner incisor breaks through the gums at 1 year
in the donkey and between 12 and 18 months of age in the mini-Shetland pony.

Eruption of the permanent incisors (Tables 2 and 3)

The upper and lower incisors erupt almost simultaneously. In some animals shedding
begins with the upper incisors, and in others with the mandibular incisor teeth. Both mini-
Shetland ponies and donkeys shed their central incisors between the ages of 3 and 3.5 years.

Table 1. Age distribution of the examined animals

Age Range (months) Number of ponies Number of donkeys

0–2 months 4 3
4–7 months 8 10
7–9 months 0 4
1 year 13–21 months 13 5
2 years 25–33 months 8 8
3 years 36–44 months 5 10
4 years 49–57 months 6 9
5 years 60–67 months 6 4
6 years 73–81 months 9 4
7 years 84–92 months 8 1
8 years 97–105 months 4 0
9 years 108–114 months 7 0
10 years 120–126 months 4 1
11 years 132–140 months 4 1
12 years 144–152 months 5 0
13 years 156–164 months 4 1
14 years 168–175 months 2 0
15 years 180–187 months 2 0
16 years 192–196 months 1 0
17 years 204–208 months 0 1
×18 years 216–319 months 6 1
 Age Determination in Mini-Shetland Ponies and Donkeys 423

Table 2. Age determination in the mini-Shetland pony

Centrals Middles Corners

Eruption of the deciduous incisors 0–2 weeks 4 months 12–18 months

Eruption of the permanent incisors 3–3.5 years 4 years 5–5.5 years
Appearance of the dental star 4.5 years 5.5 years 6.5–7 years
Appearance of the white spot 6–7 years 8 years 9–15 years
Disappearance of the cups 6–8 years 7–12 years 9–13 years
Disappearance of the marks 215 years 216 years 217 years
Presence of hooks on the upper corner from 6 years on
Presence of Galvayne’s groove from 12 years on

Table 3. Age determination in the donkey

Centrals Middles Corners

Eruption of the deciduous incisors 0–2 weeks 2 months 12 months

Eruption of the permanent incisors 3–3.5 years 4 years 5–5.5 years
Appearance of the dental star 3.5–4 years 4–4.5 years 5.5–7 years
Appearance of the white spot 6–7 years * *
Disappearance of the cups from 11 years on * *
Presence of hooks on the upper corner from 6 years on
Presence of Galvayne’s groove from 13 years on

* Number of examined donkeys was too small for values to be determined.

The eruption of the permanent middle and corner incisors occurs at the ages of 4 and 5–5.5
years, respectively.
In male animals the canines erupt at about 4.5–5 years of age. Generally these teeth are
absent or rudimentary in mares, although fully developed canines were found in five out of the
64 pony-mares and in one out of the 15 donkey-mares older than 4.5 years.

Appearance of the dental star (Tables 2 and 3)

Dental stars appear sequentially in the central, the middle and the corner incisors. In mini-
Shetland ponies stars appear on the centrals at 4.5 years, and in donkeys at 3.5–4 years. On the
middles stars appear at the age of 5.5 years in the mini-Shetland and at the age of 4–4.5 years
in the donkey. On the corners dental stars appear at 6.5–7 years in the mini-Shetland and at
5.5–7 years in the donkey.

Appearance of the white spot (Tables 2 and 3)

With age, a characteristic white spot becomes visible in the centre of the dark dental stars
(Fig. 1). In mini-Shetland ponies the white spot becomes visible on the centrals at the age of
6–7 years and on the middles at the age of 8 years. The appearance of the white spot in the
dental star on the corners is variable and occurs between 9 and 15 years. The number of
donkeys examined in the age categories in which the white spots tend to appear was too small
to justify determination of age of appearance. The youngest donkey with a clear white spot on
the centrals was 6 years and 1 month, while the oldest donkey without white spots on the
centrals was 6 years and 9 months. The youngest donkey presenting a white spot on the middles
was 7 years and 8 months old. White spots in the dental stars of the corner incisors were
present in donkeys older than 10 years.
 )
424 MUYLLE et al.

Fig. 1. A 9-year-old pony mare. Dark-coloured dental stars are present on all lower incisors. On the
centrals the white spot is clearly visible (arrows). On the middles white spots appear (arrowheads)
in the centre of the stars.

Fig. 2. A 6.5-year-old pony mare. The corner incisor has a lingual fold (arrows) instead of an occlusal
infundibulum.

CMYK Page 313 )

 Age Determination in Mini-Shetland Ponies and Donkeys 425

Disappearance of the cup (Tables 2 and 3)

The disappearance of the cups does not occur between narrow age limits. In ponies, cups
on the central incisors disappear at the age of 6–8 years, whereas cups on the middles are filled
in between 7 and 12 years and those on the corners between 9 and 13 years. In donkeys, the
disappearance of the cups occurs later. Cups on the centrals start disappearing in animals over
11 years, and cups on the middle incisors disappear in animals older than 12 years. The corner
incisors of donkeys generally do not have a cup on their occlusal surface, as there is a lingual
enamel fold instead of an occlusal infundibulum (Fig. 2).

Changes in the shape of the marks

When a cup is filled in, the exposed cement core and the surrounding enamel ring are
called ‘the mark’. In ponies, marks on the central incisors are oval until the age of 8 years.
These marks tend to an oval to triangular shape from the age of 10 years onwards and become
rounded at 13–14 years of age. On the middle and the corner incisors marks remain oval until
the age of 13–14 years. Older ponies present round marks on their middles and corners.
In donkeys, cups on the lower central and middle incisors persist for a long time so that
the appearance of marks is delayed. The profile of the cups, which is initially oval, gradually
obtains a round shape long before the cups are filled in. By the age of 12–14 years, when the
cups have finally disappeared, the remaining marks are always small and rounded. As cups are
usually absent from the lower corners, marks do not exist on these teeth either.

Disappearance of the marks (Tables 2 and 3)

In mini-Shetland ponies marks on the central, the middle and the corner incisors disappear
at the ages of 15, 16 and 17 years, respectively.
In donkeys, marks probably disappear some years later. In the 17-year-old and the 20-
year-old donkeys examined here, marks had disappeared from the centrals but were still present
on the middle incisors. The corners showed a lingual enamel fold.

Changes in shape of the occlusal surfaces

In mini-Shetland ponies, changes in shape of the occlusal surfaces of the lower incisors
are useful but inaccurate indicators of age. The changes are difficult to judge objectively because
successive shapes shade off into one another and are hardly distinguishable. The sequential
shapes of the tables of the central and the middle incisors are oval, triangular with the apex
pointing to the lingual side, and biangular. The lower corner incisors usually remain oval for a
long time and then gradually develop an apex on the vestibular side. In mini-Shetland ponies
this apex appears at the age of 9 years.
In donkeys, the changes in shape of the occlusal surfaces are even more difficult to judge.
The changes from oval to triangular and biangular are less pronounced because there is little
difference between the mesiodistal and the vestibulolingual diameters of the occlusal surface.
The lower corner incisors do not develop an apex on the vestibular side.

Direction of upper and lower incisors

As the teeth are growing out from their alveoli and undergo attrition, changes are seen in
the arch formed by the upper and lower incisors of the opposing jaws, when viewed in profile.
In young ponies and donkeys the upper and lower incisors are positioned in a straight line.
With advancing age the angle between upper and lower incisors becomes more acute. Because
exact measurements of the age-related incisival angle are not available, the evaluation of the
angle provides only a very rough estimate of age.
The same applies to the curvature of the dental arch which is formed by the occlusal
tables of the lower incisors. In young ponies this arch is a semicircle, whereas in older individuals
it forms a straighter line. In view of the gradual character of this change in direction, however,
426 MUYLLE et al.

it is impossible to determine the exact age at which changes occur. In donkeys the situation is
slightly different. Donkeys have narrower, more laterally compressed mandibles. The curvature
of the lower dental arch has a smaller diameter than that in the mini-Shetland. The semicircular
dental arch is therefore maintained and never really becomes straight.

The hook on the upper corners and the Galvayne’s groove

Neither of these characteristics is of much value for dental age determination of ponies
and donkeys. The presence of hooks cannot be related to any specific age category as they can
be present at practically any age over 6 years. The Galvayne’s groove was only observed in
older animals (aged over 12 years), but its presence and length were variable and inconsistent
(Figs 3a, b).

Discussion
Because mini-Shetland ponies and donkeys are becoming increasingly popular as com-
panion animals, it is worthwhile considering their age-related dental characteristics. Several
authors (Bünger and Hertsch, 1981; Habermehl, 1981; Eisenmenger and Zetner, 1985; Muylle
et al., 1997, 1998) have suggested that dental ageing of equids is breed-related. It is therefore
not valid to extrapolate the ‘standard rules’ for the different horse breeds to the mini-Shetland
pony and the donkey.
Environmental and behavioural differences between individuals ensure differences in the
rate of dental wear. The nature of diet, for instance, influences the abrasion of incisors. Dental
wear is caused not only by grinding of opposing crowns against one another, but also by contact
with abrasive food particles such as phytoliths which form part of the skeleton of grasses
(Hillson, 1986). In order to preclude the influence of the quality of nutrition on the rate of
dental wear, this study was performed in ponies and donkeys that were raised and kept under
similar environmental and nutritional conditions. They were all given access to daily pasture
and were fed very little amounts of concentrates and hay during the winter period. Factors that
were difficult to control and could not be taken into consideration were the individual chewing
habits and the amount of food intake.
A limitation of the present study is the small number of older donkeys that could be
examined. The underlying reason is that the Belgian Donkey studbook was only founded in
1991. In consequence, the oldest Belgian donkeys with documented evidence of birth are 8 years
old. The older individuals we had at our disposal belonged to breeders who had possessed their
donkey from birth.
When comparing the age-related dental characteristics of mini-Shetlands, donkeys and
horses, it was striking that the appearance of the deciduous and permanent incisors in both the
mini-Shetland and the donkey were retarded. Data from old literature sources have suggested
malnutrition as one of the main causes of a ‘delayed’ eruption of teeth. In more recent literature
(Bünger and Hertsch, 1981), genetic features are put forward as the determining factor for dental
eruption times. In the present study none of the animals was undernourished. Malnutrition can
therefore hardly be the underlying cause of the delayed appearance of the incisors as compared
to horses.
In mini-Shetland ponies and in donkeys the appearance of the dental star occurs earlier
than in trotter horses, Arabian horses and thoroughbreds (Richardson et al., 1994, 1995; Muylle
et al., 1996, 1998). In mini-Shetlands, stars appear in the central, the middle and the corner
incisors at the ages of 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5–7 years, respectively. These results are similar to those
of an earlier study in the Belgian Draft horse (Muylle et al., 1997). In donkeys dental stars
appear earlier than in any of the above-mentioned horse breeds, i.e. at 3.5–4 years on the
centrals and at 4–4.5 years on the middle incisors. In contrast to reports by other authors
(Richardson et al., 1994), it was found that the dental star appears at a precise age, which makes
this feature one of the most reliable ones for dental age determination.
In mini-Shetlands, donkeys and horses, a white spot appears in the centre of the dental
star. Although imprecise, this feature can be used as an additional indicator of age. The exact
 Age Determination in Mini-Shetland Ponies and Donkeys 427

Fig. 3. Two 18-year-old pony mares. (a) The Galvayne’s groove is absent on the upper corner. (b) A
clearly visible Galvayne’s groove extends half-way down the incisor (arrow).
428 MUYLLE et al.

nature of the white spot is still unknown and, to our knowledge, no literature data are available
on this subject. Preliminary scanning electron microscopic studies suggest that the occlusal
surface of the equine incisor contains fewer and smaller dentinal tubules in the area of the white
spot than in the coloured part of the dental star and the surrounding primary dentine. Detailed
research on this topic is still in progress.
The disappearance of the cups is, as in other horse breeds, an unreliable feature. The
variations in age at which the cups disappear may be due to differences in the depth of the cup.
The accumulation of cement in the infundibulum is indeed variable and ranges from abundant
in some individuals to almost non-existent in others. In donkeys and in some mini-Shetlands
there is an additional difficulty concerning this feature. On the corner incisors, the cup is
positioned more lingually on the occlusal table. In most cases this changed position has resulted
in a fusion of the cup with the lingual enamel border of the tooth. Instead of an infundibulum,
i.e. an enamel invagination in the occlusal surface of the tooth, the corner incisors present a
lingually opened invagination, which gives the occlusal surface of the corner incisor a bean-like
shape (Fig. 2). This invagination does not have the form of a crater with a measurable depth.
Consequently, cups and marks do not exist on the corners and cannot be used as age-related
features.
The clinical crown length of the incisor teeth in horses has been claimed to decrease with
age (McMullan, 1983). However, this statement cannot be confirmed in the mini-Shetland pony,
nor in three other horse breeds examined in previous studies (Muylle et al., 1996, 1997, 1998).
The clinical crown length is not reliable for age determination because some old horses and
ponies had very short clinical crowns, whereas others had very long clinical crowns. Most
horses and ponies that were examined had upper and lower incisors of equal crown length.
However, some older individuals had upper incisors twice as long as their mandibular counter-
parts, while in others the opposite was the case.
Whereas Barone (1997) states that, with ageing, all incisors of donkeys increase in length,
Crane and Inglis (1997) claim that in old donkeys the upper incisors recede to the gum level
while the lower incisors lengthen. Based on the few older individuals examined in the present
study, the latter statement could be confirmed. In the donkey, the relative shortening of the
upper incisive crowns as compared to their lower counterparts is indicative, albeit inaccurately,
of old age.
The present study indicates that, despite the manifest inter-species and individual vari-
ations, dental examination can be useful for estimation of age in mini-Shetland ponies and
donkeys.

Acknowledgement
This study was supported by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research.

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