Age by teeth

[AnnaC]

As I said before - I'm finding this topic very interesting, not least because of all the different suggestions that are coming from your pictures!

I think that the main reason we are having so much trouble with her age is that her corner incisors at the top are (IMO) most strange looking and dont match her other top teeth. Now I might need glasses, but I cannot see any dark mark/groove (Galvayne's Groove) running down the side of her incisors! But I do see what appears to be hooks coming/going on her lower corner teeth. Now these 'hooks' are formed at around 7, 14, and 21 years, which makes for interesting thoughts?

Today is going to be a tooth inspection day amongst my horses LOL!! I have every age here from 2 weeks (not going to bother inspecting his!) to 26 years, and several in their teens that I bred myself so know exactly how old they are! Will report later this evening!

I notice you say that your mare has been with you since last August - depending upon when in August she arrived, I would suggest that you be watching her very closely as she could be due to foal any minute

And I would also like to commend you on the way you are handling this 'matter'. I too like to see the best in people and would hate to upset anyone by seeming to doubt their word. Also just wondering how long the folk you got the mare from actually owned her - it is always possible that they genuinely thought the mare was 13 years old (should she now prove to be older)

See you all later today after my tooth inspection here

Anna

 

[rabbitsfizz]

The side teeth, on which the Galvynes Groove would appear, and it is this line, not any down the front teeth, that is used to age the horse, is not evident as the horses teeth appear to be deformed, it also appears a couple may well be missing? But it is hard to tell form photos.

Anyway, it is definitely the Galvynes groove on the side teeth, that grows down the teeth, identifying age, and thus it is not possible to age this horse from the teeth shown. I am not brilliant on the dental enamel ageing thing, but if you can open her mouth and photograph the top or bottom teeth (middle ones) so that the actual flat part is evident, I shall give it a try.

From what I have seen I would say she quite possibly is 13, the teeth are too straight to indicate and older horse.

I doubt she is much older.

 

[chandab]

The side teeth, on which the Galvynes Groove would appear, and it is this line, not any down the front teeth, that is used to age the horse, is not evident as the horses teeth appear to be deformed, it also appears a couple may well be missing? But it is hard to tell form photos.

From what I have seen I would say she quite possibly is 13, the teeth are too straight to indicate and older horse.

I doubt she is much older.

This is kind of what I was thinking, those corner incisors look deformed or damaged. I have a mare who's upper left corner incisor is damaged and it looks very very similar to this mare's corner incisors (my girl only has one that looks odd), she is 15 (I'd haven't looked at her teeth, lately, to notice how much slope they have).

 

[rabbitsfizz]

It seems to be quite a common problem in Minis, I have not seen it in BH's, so it is possibly a "Mini thing".

 

[AnnaC]

Have to admit that I was also wondering if this little mare could have had some sort of 'accident' at some time, as those side incisors or hers really dont match her other top teeth at all. But still one would have thought that some sign of a groove should have been visible??

Having checked over my lot here - ages from 10 to 26 - yep, there is the groove, in various stages of 'growth' from just starting at the top to all the way down and even beginning to 'smooth out' a bit at the top again, depending upon the ages of those concerned. But none of them had the clean, white looking incisors of this mare.

Would be interested to know what sort of damage can change those side incisors (both sides) to such a degree?

Anna

 

[Camille]

Have to admit that I was also wondering if this little mare could have had some sort of 'accident' at some time, as those side incisors or hers really dont match her other top teeth at all. But still one would have thought that some sign of a groove should have been visible??

Having checked over my lot here - ages from 10 to 26 - yep, there is the groove, in various stages of 'growth' from just starting at the top to all the way down and even beginning to 'smooth out' a bit at the top again, depending upon the ages of those concerned. But none of them had the clean, white looking incisors of this mare.

Would be interested to know what sort of damage can change those side incisors (both sides) to such a degree?

Anna

I apologize for not posting sooner all and I had not forgotten the thread. I just have had way to much going on the last few days and me being by myself with critters makes it a job in itself. I have not had a chance to try and get pictures of the top and bottom of her teeth and until I have a second pair of hands not sure I am going to be able to. So I guess that leaves this thread till I can get a second pair of hands to help out.

AnnaC I do not know much about this little mares history only she had been purchased from elsewhere several years back and had not been handled much. She had been out on lease to someone else for the last two years before she had been put up for sale. So for all I know she could have been at I don't know how many homes.

I would like to know what would cause that kind of damage as well. I have done some reading on the net and found that nutritional deficiencies can cause deformed teeth as well. She was not nutritional deficient by any means when I got her she was round as a butterball. She tends to be an easy keeper but for getting food stuck in her cheek on occasion which I had read can be caused by deformed teeth as well.

So perhaps she was lacking something when she was young. Fat animals don't necessarily mean healthy animals as I am sure we all know. If they are missing something in their diet there can be other problems.

I did not think to look at her teeth when I purchased her as I had something pulling at my heart string to bring her home that her and I belonged together. I am not one bit sorry I did.

I think you ask or someone did about when in August she was delivered. I don't remember the exact date but the contract has August 1 so I assume it was then or right around then. According to the calculators I used she should foal by July 10th is she was in with the stud and bred on the date she was delivered so yes there is till time but she sure hasnt shown me any sign of getting ready. I am hoping but not holding my breath, but her not showing to my stud makes me wonder. Sooooo

I will again try to get some pictures of the top and bottom of her teeth.