2 year old or 3 year old...confused..!!!!!!

SatansLittleHelper

SatansLittleHelper

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Just bought a coloured WB x ISH who was sold to the lady I bought him off by a dealer who got him from Ireand. The dealer sold him as a broken in 3 year old whith pics of him being ridden etc. However, his passport says he is 2 as it says DOB 2010. I have spoken to the dealer who claim that the original owner made a mistake and that it should have been 2009....but the passport office said as its a microchip passoprt only that the owner would have had to have checked before signing to agree with what the vet had written. So now Im confused. He is a big lad, already around 16/1. Im going to leave him to be a baby til at least next spring anyway but how do I find out for sure how old he is..?? And if he does turn out to be only 2 will there be any lasting damage from being backed so young..????:confused:
 
Get a vet or a qualified EDT to look at his teeth. Worth doing with youngsters anyway as their teeth develop sharp edges rather quicker than Adults as they are erupting at a faster rate ;)
 
Thanks guys, my colt is being gelded on Monday so will ask vet to take a look while he is here :D
Im concerned about any problems arising from the fact that he may only be 2 years old and backed so young...is this likely..???:(
 
If you look at his incisors, they will be smaller and whiter in a 2 year old. The first permanent (adult) incisors come through at around 2 1/2. Looking in his mouth from the front, you will see 6 teeth at the top and 6 at the bottom. The first ones to shed are the central incisors - the 2 right at the very front, top and bottom. If your horse is fully 3 years old, these central incisors will be fully in wear and will be bigger and more yellowish than the teeth at each side of them (the lateral incisors). The next permanent teeth to erupt are the lateral incisors at around 3 1/2 (there are also premolars and molars erupting at around this time but as these are at the back of the mouth, you won't be able to see them).
Could you take a photo of his front teeth at all and post it here ?
 
HeavyHorseHugger said:
Thanks guys, my colt is being gelded on Monday so will ask vet to take a look while he is here :D
Im concerned about any problems arising from the fact that he may only be 2 years old and backed so young...is this likely..???:(
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As long as you give him sufficient time to grow and mature naturally there should be no problems health wise for you later on. It's when people continue to work growing horses that they could have problems later on by the body being stressed before it is ready. Even next year, if you spot him going through a growing phase then stop all work until it's settled down again. Being Irish it's likely he'll not mature fully until he's about six or even later.
Keep a sharp eye on his limbs and make sure you keep up with regular foot trims from a decent farrier so that you can spot any imbalances early and don't be tempted to over feed him; for one he won't be used to it and for another, the last thing a youngster needs is to be over topped while it's still growing; better ribs can be felt than not in spite of what feed firms and well meaning friends might say.

Have fun getting to know him and where are the obligatory pics?
 
I'd get a dentist to age a horse rather than a vet. But personal preference. :)

Though teeth aren't a guaranteed definite answer, as like children, you get some which don't fit the trend. We had a 4 year old cob [who we'd had since a baby so definitely knew his age as we'd had him that long!], yet, with a vet, she aged his as a 2 year old!!! But luckily, she said his teeth just must not fit the norm, as it was obvious to look at him that he wasn't a 2 year old :)
 
Very common for Irish horses to be sold as older than they are ( can ask more money). They often break them in as 2 yr olds and even hunt them at 2 or 3. It happened to us, we bought a supposedly 3 yr old but found out later he was a year younger.
 
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