question about youngsters teeth?

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georgiegirl2

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As twig is having a few weeks off work due to throwing a splint this is isnt really urgent but I am hoping to find some answers to a few questions! We bought twig as a 3.5 yo from a racing yard in nov. At the time she was as thin as a rake, wasnt eating properly. We had her teeth checked and it turned out one of the caps from her molars was still stuck in her gum on top of the adult tooth. The vet removed this and she began putting on weight and eating properly. In between then and now she has been going fantastically, working properly on the flat and has had some basic jumping lessons and at one point we were getting very excited about how she is going to turn out (still are!) However, the past couple of weeks (before throwing the splint) she has been very erratic to ride and has felt very tense. She has recently had her saddle checked although she has moved somewhere now with lots of grass which she hasnt ever had before. At first we thought it may be the grass causing this problem but in the past couple days she has been chewing wood and tonight when we brought her in she was rubbing her teeth on the brick wall outside her stable. Is this simple teething? I've had youngsters before and none of them have seemed so sensitive. When you look at her front teeth the outside incisors look a different colour from the others so im thinking these are the next ones ready to come out? Do you think all this could have contributed to the fairly sudden change in her ridden work? Could she be a 'late starter' in shedding her teeth? Is there anything i can do to help her?

Sorry for the rambling post, its just other four year olds i have had havent had this problem before so im trying to rule out every possibility!
 
Hi
Yes, I think she's probably teething...they normally get their adult centrals at 2.5 years, their laterals at 3.5 and their corner incisors at 4.5 so if your girl has different coloured corners they'll still be baby teeth whilst the other incisors are adult teeth.
Adult teeth are more yellow, baby teeth are white, blade shaped with a clear neck to them...if that helps.
Perhaps a bit of hacking on a long rein til she's more comfy?
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thanyou for the advice! all the youngsters i have brought on before have been geldings and not full tb so i think she is slightly more sensitive - even the vet who came out to have a look at her splint commented on low her pain threashold must be! I think it may be a combination of teething and putting on a lot of weight quickly on all this new grass at the yard we have recently moved to! she has walked in sound the last two nights since developing her splint although she is still on one sachet of bute twice a day so im going to give it at least another week to make sure and then i'll probably just lunge her on her headcollar the first few times just to get the tickle out of her toes! She does seem rather on top of the world at the moment with her new found weight gain! although i am pleased as she looked like a coat hanger when she came from the racing yard.

Do you think its worth getting the dentist out to look at her again? or is this fairly 'normal'. When he came in nov he did say give it 12 months but given her recent behaviour do you think its worth getting him out again just for a check over? her ridden work has gone down hill dramatically although it could be incorparated with the sudden introduction of lots of grass?
 
I'm amazed that your girl hasn't already told you that all TB's are DELICATE FLOWERS...and must be treated with great care!
Regarding the splint - it's not unusual for them to develop splints...and they always look terrible when they first appear...but it will shrink when the inflammation subsides...often they shrink completely as the bone remodels.
Worth getting your farrier to check her foot balance, and avoid concussive exercise (trotting on roads) for a while.
As for getting the dentist for her teeth - only you can judge...but if she's really mouthy, opening her mouth when ridden, drooling, quidding, tilting her head or anything really unusual it might be worth it.
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Shilasdair is right - the corner incisors go at 4-4 1/2 years old although each horse is indiviidual and may be early or late. She is just doing what they would do in the wild (wood and rubbing on bricks) to loosen these teeth as they are ready to come out. Keep an eye as they should be out soon and if not call as EDT to pull them for you as she has had retained caps in the past it may happen again.

Good Luck
 
Chancer is three and doing just as you describe - chews any bit of wood, rubs his teeth against things. My dentist says he has 4/5 teeth erupting at the moment.

I have given him a couple of big logs in the fields - saves the fences and he really loves chewing and kicking them. We are doing long reining and minimal riding work so am using a very light contact - actually riding western style now, and the bridle is used no more than two or occasionally three times a week.

Some TBs can have very low pain thresholds. Miss Delia was a real drama queen when it came to the slightest thing. That said Breeze was as tough as old boots and only showed sign of pain on a really severe injury.

At the moment I am having the dentist every six to eight months as there is so much going on in his mouth - he had to have a wolf tooth out last time - removed with fingers as it was so loose, also a lot of tooth came off when he had the sharp edges rasped - bits of cap everywhere.

He is also a bit "odd" at the moment which I am putting down to teething.
 
my boy went throught the same at 4.5 chewing and so on, as soon as the teeth were out and new ones installed he settled and although likes a little nibble here and there is not chewing the fences up anymore!
 
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