My yearling has been ridden!

[throughtheforest]

As the title says really, I've been tracing my yearling cobs history who I bought back in July this year and back in December 2018 he had been ridden and jumped!!!!
I have seen the photos, it's clearly him and I was quite shocked to be honest. I honestly don't think he's been knocked about or psychologically damaged as he loves people and loves to come out... And is sound as a pound.
However, I am worried about the affect this could have on him in the future and I probably would have been more cautious about buying him had I known. That's the risk of buying a horse who's history is not that well known. When the farrier removed his shoes he said he'd had a bit of use in them. He's obviously resting and being forced to behave like a horse in the field with other horses and he will do for at least another year.
Anyone else had a horse who's done too much when they were youngsters?! I've known a lot of TB ex racers who've remained sound into their teens...

 

[bonny]

If he had shoes on then presumably you knew he had been ridden ?

 

[Melody Grey]

Is he very obviously a yearling in terms of his development? Justin wondering if he’s a bit older on a dodgy passport/

 

[throughtheforest]

If he had shoes on then presumably you knew he had been ridden ?

I knew he had been broken to drive and bought him as a 2 year old, having been told he was 3, later aged by the vet as a yearling!

 

[throughtheforest]

Is he very obviously a yearling in terms of his development? Justin wondering if he’s a bit older on a dodgy passport/

Vet has said yearling, he came with no passport

 

[bonny]

I knew he had been broken to drive and bought him as a 2 year old, having been told he was 3, later aged by the vet as a yearling!

Sounds like you could do with a definite answer about his age

 

[throughtheforest]

Vet has said yearling, he came with no passport

But you know he does look quite well developed in those photos and appears to have started to look more immature with me..

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Vet has said yearling, he came with no passport

if the vet aged him by teeth they can be very inaccurate-I've had one vetted as two years older and another as three years younger-and I have them both since weaning so knew exactly how old they were.

why did you buy a horse with no passport?

 

[throughtheforest]

Sounds like you could do with a definite answer about his age

Can't get more definitive answer to his age as my vets opinion.

 

[Melody Grey]

You bought a very young shod cob, already being driven with no passport? Just clarifying- not meant to sound judgemental.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Shod and driven very young. No passport.

Did you buy him from persons who travel?

 

[Palindrome]

Poor boy, at least now he has landed on his feet so to speak.

 

[throughtheforest]

You bought a very young shod cob, already being driven with no passport? Just clarifying- not meant to sound judgemental.

It was a risk, one I took because I liked the horse and he's still not going anywhere as he's definitely ideal for me. However I'm a bit shocked by the level of work he has done!

 

[throughtheforest]

Shod and driven very young. No passport.

Did you buy him from persons who travel?

I think you mean travellers...

 

[be positive]

Can't get more definitive answer to his age as my vets opinion.

Your vet may be wrong, it was only his opinion and that is not definitive, I have known many vets get aging totally wrong, if he was ridden in Dec he would have been obviously still a foal in the photos, the tail is a good guide at that age.

 

[throughtheforest]

Your vet may be wrong, it was only his opinion and that is not definitive, I have known many vets get aging totally wrong, if he was ridden in Dec he would have been obviously still a foal in the photos, the tail is a good guide at that age.

He's definitely under 2 it's blatantly obvious looking at his teeth.

 

[bonny]

Do you have a photo of how he looks now or you could post the jumping photos from last year ?

 

[throughtheforest]

I hope this works
Taken by a previous owner in December 2018. The most current ones won't upload and I can't get them to a size for them to be uploaded.

 

[throughtheforest]

I hope this works
Taken by a previous owner in December 2018. The most current ones won't upload and I can't get them to a size for them to be uploaded.

I've had to screenshot it from fb for it to be the right size... This was taken 3 weeks ago

 

[Shilasdair]

That's no yearling.
Are you sure you're not confusing baby teeth with adult teeth? Some of the stages of teeth growth/shedding in the adult horse mimic the baby teeth stages.

 

[bonny]

He certainly doesn’t look like a yearling in the picture from last year, I think I would try to find out his age now and go from there and try not to worry about what he’s done in the past

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I've had to screenshot it from fb for it to be the right size... This was taken 3 weeks agoView attachment 37133

To confirm, you brought what was obviously a pony under 2 which was shod, had no passport?
Some travellers get on and work yearlings, some dont.
It's rather naive to purchase a shod animal and then rant about what has happened in the past.
What is it you want folk here to do?

If hes now out and with similar aged equines in a field, he can now enjoy a childhood

 

[Palindrome]

To confirm, you brought what was obviously a pony under 2 which was shod, had no passport?
Some travellers get on and work yearlings, some dont.
It's rather naive to purchase a shod animal and then rant about what has happened in the past.
What is it you want folk here to do?

If hes now out and with similar aged equines in a field, he can now enjoy a childhood

OP was told he was 3, then later vet said he is a yearling.

Assuming he is Spring/Summer born, the first picture looks more like 18 months than 6 months to me (due to tail length), he would then be 2 and a half now, would that work with your timeline?

 

[Gloi]

What front teeth has he got? Can you post a pic?

 

[Leo Walker]

Hes fully clipped. I've honestly never known travellers to clip out a pony like that. Where did you get the pony from? Was there a third party in between you and the original owners? That is not a foal in the first picture. Has the pony grown significantly since you've had it?

 

[bonny]

Hes fully clipped. I've honestly never known travellers to clip out a pony like that. Where did you get the pony from? Was there a third party in between you and the original owners? That is not a foal in the first picture. Has the pony grown significantly since you've had it?

The OP hasn’t said anything about travellers ?

 

[throughtheforest]

No he's definitely either 2 or under, I may get a 2nd opinion next year, however the owner before the previous has stated that their dentist felt he was a young yearling prior to May and she believes he would be 2 now... So, moving on now from that point... I was literally just wondering as per the original post if people have bought a youngster who has worked too young and gone on to have a sound horse in the future.

 

[bonny]

No he's definitely either 2 or under, I may get a 2nd opinion next year, however the owner before the previous has stated that their dentist felt he was a young yearling prior to May and she believes he would be 2 now... So, moving on now from that point... I was literally just wondering as per the original post if people have bought a youngster who has worked too young and gone on to have a sound horse in the future.

There is no point worrying though if he’s older and the first picture cannot be of a yearling..

 

[throughtheforest]

There is no point worrying though if he’s older and the first picture cannot be of a yearling..

Point is he has done a lot of work more so than expected as a yearling. I guess I'm sort of hypothesising as to his future soundness into adulthood.
The photos are of the same horse though so clearly it must be.

 

[bonny]

Have you got a passport for him now and if so, what age does it say he is ?