Foal tails

[Wooblet]

Evening all. I've been working with a horse who is reported to be three years old, but since gut feeling is telling me he's much younger. He's got a 'baby tail' still and he's still got the last two descending permanent teeth that are just getting close to touching now.

How long does a young horse take to lose their foal tail? I thought it was usually gone by two?

I'll try to add pictures but I might be too be to new to be allowed to post pictures yet, we'll see!

Soph.

Ps yes it won't let me post pics but he's links to them

https://i.ibb.co/wRDrx15/Screenshot-20211106-020617.png

https://i.ibb.co/LCr6rB5/Screenshot-20211106-020657.png

 

[Mule]

I think it grows out after about a year. That horse looks a lot younger than 3

 

[TheMule]

There are too many other factors that can influence a tail and make it look that way to make it a reliable way of aging a horse- eg chewing by itself/ other horses/ other animals, itching etc

 

[PapaverFollis]

Tail looks like it has been trimmed.

 

[twiggy2]

Just to mention you really shouldn't be putting photos of other people's horses in here unless they owners know, if I employed you and you put photos of my horse up I wouldn't be very happy.

 

[Wooblet]

Just to mention you really shouldn't be putting photos of other people's horses in here unless they owners know, if I employed you and you put photos of my horse up I wouldn't be very happy.

I understand your concern. He knows. I built him a website so I'm usually taking pictures of his horses, the good ones go on there. I'm interested in buying this horse, worked with his owner as a friend for a bit, known him years and would like to know what other people thought on the age front. Kept the pictures cropped to avoid full identity of the horse in question being revealed. Just as needed.

 

[Wooblet]

Tail looks like it has been trimmed.

I did wonder, as sometimes they do this to show them young don't they?

I was told ages ago it's roughly a year for a tail to grow out fully once cut. Is that about right?

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Those look like baby teeth to me what I can see of them. A 3 yr old will still have baby teeth at the corners.

 

[Wooblet]

I think it grows out after about a year. That horse looks a lot younger than 3

The pass supposedly says three but I'm definitely getting more "looks younger" comments from people that see him and I've known passes get information muddled, wrong or such so extra curious now if they got it wrong somewhere along the line. ?

 

[windand rain]

It is the central insisors that will tell you his age if he still has baby teeth there he is younger than three and if the 4 front teeth are adult teeth he is about 3 ish

 

[Cortez]

He looks three to me, a big young Clydesdale will be much more babyish than a sports horse. Why do you think the passport is wrong?

 

[Wooblet]

He looks three to me, a big young Clydesdale will be much more babyish than a sports horse. Why do you think the passport is wrong?

Just a gut feeling I suppose. So many people have commented on how he looks younger when I chat with horsey mates and chat about my interest in buying him (as you do with horse friends when they think there's a new horse to oogle) and most have passed comments on him looking younger than three. My gut feelings aren't usually wrong in life. Was just curious what others thought. Was the tail and those baby teeth that made me doubt it most though.

I used to work in a race yard in my youth and it's been a while but I recall them having those last incisors touching together by three and his aren't.

Obviously if buy him if he's younger it would affect when I backed him, as I wouldn't want to do it too early if he is any younger. Though I suppose I could just draw out his ground training longer if I was in any doubt.

 

[Wooblet]

It is the central insisors that will tell you his age if he still has baby teeth there he is younger than three and if the 4 front teeth are adult teeth he is about 3 ish

Thanks, I'll have another deeper look at the middle ones when I see him again. ?

 

[Cortez]

Thanks, I'll have another deeper look at the middle ones when I see him again. ?

Also please remember that teeth are often not the most reliable indicator of age. Some horses retain baby teeth and sometimes never lose them at all. Having bred a lot of horses (and thus knowing the exact birth date) I can tell you that the teeth sometimes don't match the passport.

 

[Caol Ila]

My PRE looked really baby-ish at two-and-a-half, but by the time she turned three, she looked far more like a horse.