Feel a bit sick and angry

[wattamus]

I think you really need to step back and think about things. At this point in time I'm looking at at least 4 years until i can ride my own horse again (when i graduate and get a decent enough job to buy another) or even longer until my current horse pops her cloggs (which will never happen because i don't want it to and besides she's got another 10+ years to go!).
Two years is really not that long and I can tell you from friends experiences, selling a horse is difficult at this time. Why don't you loan her as a companion for a year/ two years and loan another horse to hack out on until she is ready? just a thought

 

[pip6]

I can understand your disappointment. I don't want to be pessimistic, but you don't want to have to wait another year before you can back, & others may not want to either. The 2 yr old market isn't exactly buzzing.

My mare injured herself so she couldn't compete anymore, & as she was so talented I decided to breed from her. That was 5 years ago, her daughter is about to be backed aged 4. I've had great fun with her daughter in those 4 years, & it will be so sweet to get on & ride her this summer. If you can't sell your lady, then focus on trying other things, such as in hand showing, even if you don't normally do that. It gives her experience, training & a focus for you to pass the year. All the best, hope it works out for you.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Thanks ghostie and HH

Think I am all over the place, feel rather duped and very disappointed by it all.
Maybe I am being a complete hasty idiot, god knows. Still feel raw about Seren and miss her terribly which is not easy.
Perhaps I should ask another vet again, interesting reading your response cortez about the ageing, my vet did say it could be tough but she seemed convinced she was only coming up two years, gosh I dont know

 

[Ibblebibble]

If not, is there anyone you know that is keeping a horse as a companion that is suitable for hacking but isn't being ridden - if so might they consider 'swapping' so that your filly becomes their companion until she's ready to back or else letting you hack it out? Might be worth asking about as I have known of various people over the years that have companion horses that can be hacked that they don't because they don't have the time.

now thats a plan and means you won't lose money on your filly by reselling, it is sickening when people lie about age, i had a little pony on loan a few years ago for the kids and we were told he was rising 5, so i rode him a couple of times to school him for the kids. later he went to my friend on loan and she ended up buying him and when she finally got the passport paperwork from the owners it turned out he had in fact been only rising 4 when i had him i felt awful for riding a 3 yr old pony who in my mind shouldn't have been carrying my weight even for the short times he did

 

[kippen64]

The former owner says that she will be three this year. It's possible that she really will be three this year and just looks two because she was a late foal. Teeth are funny things in horses. My 19 year old Highland Pony has younger looking teeth than my 17 year old Thoroughbred. Both are papered and I have their papers, so there is no doubt.

Even if she were three, she would still be too young for long hacks.

Just a thought.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Thanks wattamus and pip6, sorry for being such a numpty everyone, think this has been a real shock, maybe i do need to step back and get a grip. Just so disappointed, I had hoped to be riding away quietly later this year.
Perhaps I should get another vet to see what they think

 

[Sparkles]

Actually, aging by the teeth is rather hit and miss. I used to run a stud farm and so knew all the horses ages exactly - you'd be amazed at how far out a lot of the teeth were (yes, by as much as a year in some cases). You'd also be amazed at how many vets couldn't age a horse for toffee.

Ditto this! One of our old 4 year olds, had rising 3 year old year old teeth to look at. His teeth were off over a year and we were certain of his DOB.

So there may be a chance possibly? She looks a well built girl. Compare her to Sparks, who is just 2 and well built also. If she looks more mature than him, then it could be her teeth are just behind?

Also 3 this year could even be late as this Winter. We have quite a few colts from older broodmares who turned 2 in December! So still are, in theory, 3 this year.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

The former owner says that she will be three this year. It's possible that she really will be three this year and just looks two because she was a late foal. Teeth are funny things in horses. My 19 year old Highland Pony has younger looking teeth than my 17 year old Thoroughbred. Both are papered and I have their papers, so there is no doubt.

Even if she were three, she would still be too young for long hacks.

Just a thought.

I know, I have thought this, but he has given her a birth date in march. Me and vet discussed this, but she is supposed to be n early foal. Yes this is it, had she been 3 this year then next year I would be able to look forward to longer leisurely hacks, this year was going to be bringing her on and backing her lightly.
Vet reckons she is not even 2yrs old yet

 

[scrunchie]

On a similar note, I found out yesterday that Dooney was 2 months old when he was given to me. That means he is only a yearling. I assumed he was closer to 2.

Not just that but who the hell takes a foal off it's mother at 2 months old? No wonder he has issues with colic and illness. He probably hasn't had half the antibodies he needs off his mum's milk.

I took him in as a rescue case but it would have been nice to have known the full facts.

OP, I do feel for you.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Ditto this! One of our old 4 year olds, had rising 3 year old year old teeth to look at. His teeth were off over a year and we were certain of his DOB.

So there may be a chance possibly? She looks a well built girl. Compare her to Sparks, who is just 2 and well built also. If she looks more mature than him, then it could be her teeth are just behind?

Also 3 this year could even be late as this Winter. We have quite a few colts from older broodmares who turned 2 in December! So still are, in theory, 3 this year.

You could be right, perhaps she is,, vet seemed to think it would be much to rare that her teeth would be telling us the wrong age. She is a very well built filly. Sometimes she looks more mature than others, gosh i just dont know

 

[scrunchie]

You could be right, perhaps she is,, vet seemed to think it would be much to rare that her teeth would be telling us the wrong age. She is a very well built filly. Sometimes she looks more mature than others, gosh i just dont know

Can you get a 2nd opinion on the teeth? My vet has admitted to being useless at aging.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

On a similar note, I found out yesterday that Dooney was 2 months old when he was given to me. That means he is only a yearling. I assumed he was closer to 2.

Not just that but who the hell takes a foal off it's mother at 2 months old? No wonder he has issues with colic and illness. He probably hasn't had half the antibodies he needs off his mum's milk.

I took him in as a rescue case but it would have been nice to have known the full facts.

OP, I do feel for you.

Gosh what a shock, your poor boy, two months old is awfully young to be taken from his mum, poor thing.
Yes, I am so confused, dont know my ass from my elbow just now

 

[kerilli]

i second that teeth can be really unreliable, i've bred 6 now and their teeth have all lied at some stage or the other!
overall body structure is a much better way of telling imho. will you post a pic of her maybe?
if you know her parents' names you can check with the stallion owners, which year their stallion covered that particular mare...

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Can you get a 2nd opinion on the teeth? My vet has admitted to being useless at aging.

I think I need to don't I, just to be certain, gosh i am rather all over the shop with this.

 

[Sparkles]

Stupid question...have you had your dentist out to ask him?

Stand back and take a good look at her. Does she have a full tail? Full mane? Sprung her shoulder out? If she does, then it's probably more than likely she is a bit older than rising 2.

And for the March comment....that can be a fairly standard 'decided' date for breeders.

Go with your gut. If you honestly think she is younger in your heart, then I've always gone with my gut feeling on things.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

i second that teeth can be really unreliable, i've bred 6 now and their teeth have all lied at some stage or the other!
overall body structure is a much better way of telling imho. will you post a pic of her maybe?
if you know her parents' names you can check with the stallion owners, which year their stallion covered that particular mare...

No idea who parents are unfortunately. She is a big string filly, but when i look at a lot of rising 2yr old traditionals now, I think she looks the same
Here she is

Sometimes I look at her and see her differently

 

[kippen64]

I know, I have thought this, but he has given her a birth date in march. Me and vet discussed this, but she is supposed to be n early foal. Yes this is it, had she been 3 this year then next year I would be able to look forward to longer leisurely hacks, this year was going to be bringing her on and backing her lightly.
Vet reckons she is not even 2yrs old yet

I would get a second opinion. My Highland Pony is 19 years old and his teeth still don't a have slope to them. That is not normal for a 19 year old. I bought him off the stud he was born at back in 1996. He is a well known horse with a well documented history. So please don't make life changing decisions on the basis of one person's opinion.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Stupid question...have you had your dentist out to ask him?

Stand back and take a good look at her. Does she have a full tail? Full mane? Sprung her shoulder out? If she does, then it's probably more than likely she is a bit older than rising 2.

And for the March comment....that can be a fairly standard 'decided' date for breeders.

Go with your gut. If you honestly think she is younger in your heart, then I've always gone with my gut feeling on things.

That is a good idea.
Well this is the thing. Sometimes i look at her and believe it, but other times I look at her and just see a baby
Well her tail does seem young ish to me, her eyes are very young, her mane was chewed off by other horses so not a terribly good indicator

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I would get a second opinion. My Highland Pony is 19 years old and his teeth still don't a have slope to them. That is not normal for a 19 year old. I bought him off the stud he was born at back in 1996. He is a well known horse with a well documented history. So please don't make life changing decisions on the basis of one person's opinion.

Your right, perhaps I am too hasty.

Thanks you guys for helping me stop flapping, am still a bit all over the place but calmer

 

[Sparkles]

Not sure if helps or not, but this some of our boys for age comparison body wise [though I know each is different!]:

Here's Sparks, who's just 2 [Earlier this year - Early baby.].

And here's 2 of our rising 3 year olds:

And this was the piebald above this time last year, when he was about 18 months.

 

[Sparkles]

And a few more of the ones which will be 2 this year, taken end of last year:

Bear in mind all of them are entires though.

 

[Monkers]

If it helps I have known many rising 3 year olds that still haven't shed their centrals. They are "supposed" to lose them at about 2 and a half, and by the time they are 3 they are replaced.
I have found that they often shed the centrals and grow the new ones at more or less the same time and it's nearly always nearer 3 than 2 and a half.


Can you get a pic of them, and of her on here?

 

[Cortez]

Personally I use the length of the tail more for aging a 2 year old - it's generally not full length until 3.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

2 more pics

 

[Sparkles]

I'd be inclined to say either just 2 or nearly, comparing them photos of her to our cob youngsters. She looks like where our rising 3 y/os were this time last year. Still, only personal opinion though. I so wanted to be bale to say that she would be 3 this year and don't worry about it, but now going by them photos, that's what I'd be inclined to say

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Personally I use the length of the tail more for aging a 2 year old - it's generally not full length until 3.

just what i have been thinking, her tail is one of the things making me increasingly think she is maybe not the age they said

 

[Amaranta]

From the length of her tail I would not say this was a rising 2yo, it is too long and she looks more like a rising 3. Teeth can lie.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I'd be inclined to say either just 2 or nearly, comparing them photos of her to our cob youngsters. She looks like where our rising 3 y/os were this time last year. Still, only personal opinion though. I so wanted to be bale to say that she would be 3 this year and don't worry about it, but now going by them photos, that's what I'd be inclined to say

This is what I have been thinking. A few of people at yard have been a little surprised at her age think I have been blinded by grief and acted in complete haste here

 

[Monkers]

I agree that two year old tails aren't as full as 3 year olds, but I suspect hairy native cob types get much more tail earlier that everything else, so that's probably not too reliable.

To be honest, she does look quite young in those last two pics, but it's impossible to be certain. If you can't see any change in her centrals by May,(look at the gum line for any slight receeding, or the appearance of a small "neck" on the tooth) then she probably is just two this year.

If you can get a pic of her teeth up tomorrow, especially the gum line, some of us might be able to help!

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

From the length of her tail I would not say this was a rising 2yo, it is too long and she looks more like a rising 3. Teeth can lie.

I am struggling with the tail, I keep going back and fourth tbh, am now very confused.