Worn teeth

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Hecter

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I wonder if someone can give me a little advise, we are going through the
process of finding our son his 1st pony and have found a lovely 8 year
young lady. She is currently turned out with a large mixed heard of 15
geldings and mares, the grass is very very sparce!

The pony has a little bit of a tummy due to not being worked and allowed
unlimited grazing on whatever she can find.

Below is a picture of her teeth

[video]http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n398/boystoys_2008/newyear2014013_zps4bd6cfa8.jpg[/video]

I observed her in the stable and she was not cribbing, I have asked the staff on the yard
and they have said she is not a cribber.

I have done a little research myself and have read alot on teeth wear due to
limited access to grazing (ie short grass), has anyone expierenced the same and
with corrective dental work could this be turned around?

If we decide to go ahead with the purchase of this pony she will be in a routine of
turnout and stabling with a control mixed diet and grazing.

Thanks in advance for you comments

Kieron
 
If in doubt ask for a vetting, horses are expensive enough without buying a problem.
Personally, unless you are very experienced I would not buy a pony out of a field, you need to be presented with a pony ready to ride, so you can try it out properly.
I assume the owner told you she has a tummy due to current regime, this may be the case, but why is the pony not being ridden? Buyer beware.
Try a local charity if you want something safe, they will know the pony and will be looking for a good home.
 
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I have known many ponies and a couple of horses with similar teeth, only one was due to cribbing, most had been kept on sparse grazing, one on a mountainside which has worn the teeth down, none to my knowledge ever had problems or any special dental treatment to correct the wear.
I would be wary about trying to correct wear by taking anything off the incisors as they only have a finite amount and reducing the length could impact later in life, make sure she gets regular dental care and try and avoid very restricted grazing if you can.
 
MrsD123 said:
If in doubt ask for a vetting, horses are expensive enough without buying a problem.
Personally, unless you are very experienced I would not buy a pony out of a field, you need to be presented with a pony ready to ride, so you can try it out properly.
I assume the owner told you she has a tummy due to current regime, this may be the case, but why is the pony not being ridden? Buyer beware.
Try a local charity if you want something safe, they will know the pony and will be looking for a good home.
Click to expand...

The pony is currently at a British Horse Society outstanding rated stables and if 1st impressions are anything to
go on we are on the right tracks.

The pony is currently being used for their pony club activities, dressed in fancy dress, around the world and is being ridden
by expierenced and novice riders alike etc.., so I am happy with the temprement of the pony. We asked to see the pony ridden
in the school my one of their staff and again happy with what we saw. My sons ability would be classed as "Novice" and
under the supervision of the staff my son was led around the school.

I would say my only concern is her teeth, but as in one of my previous replys to a post the owner is not back until
the 3rd so I can't get the answers to the real indepth questions I need to ask, I was just wondering if anyone else
has expierenced or has a pony with the same kind of ware.

Regards
Kieron
 
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be positive said:
I have known many ponies and a couple of horses with similar teeth, only one was due to cribbing, most had been kept on sparse grazing, one on a mountainside which has worn the teeth down, none to my knowledge ever had problems or any special dental treatment to correct the wear.
I would be wary about trying to correct wear by taking anything off the incisors as they only have a finite amount and reducing the length could impact later in life, make sure she gets regular dental care and try and avoid very restricted grazing if you can.
Click to expand...

I do think that this ponies teeth are worn due sparse grazing, I read somewhere that in some areas where the soil
is high in acid content that this problem can be accelerated. The field that she is turned out in at the moment has
another 15 horses in and is on the side of a hill, so the grazing is very sparse.
 
I've seen teeth worn like that too where the pony had been kept on very restricted grazing for a long time where it is constantly biting on soil/grit. I think it is more likely to be worn by the grazing than cribbing.
 
I would be considering whether this pony is 8 or 18!
My mare has an unknown age (unpassported until I bought her) but is in her mid teens at her youngest, and she has teeth very similar.
Obviously soil/forage/feeding has an impact on dental wear, but the plaque along the gum line, and the deep, discoloured grooves in her teeth would suggest to me that this pony is older than her stated age.
 
Hecter said:
I wonder if someone can give me a little advise, we are going through the
process of finding our son his 1st pony and have found a lovely 8 year
young lady. She is currently turned out with a large mixed heard of 15
geldings and mares, the grass is very very sparce!

The pony has a little bit of a tummy due to not being worked and allowed
unlimited grazing on whatever she can find.

Below is a picture of her teeth

[video]http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n398/boystoys_2008/newyear2014013_zps4bd6cfa8.jpg[/video]

I observed her in the stable and she was not cribbing, I have asked the staff on the yard
and they have said she is not a cribber.

I have done a little research myself and have read alot on teeth wear due to
limited access to grazing (ie short grass), has anyone expierenced the same and
with corrective dental work could this be turned around?

If we decide to go ahead with the purchase of this pony she will be in a routine of
turnout and stabling with a control mixed diet and grazing.

Thanks in advance for you comments

Kieron
Click to expand...

Do you have a photo of her 'tummy'? I would get her checked by a dental vet before you go ahead with buying her. She looks like she has gingivitis and/or peridonitis. Not sure how bad it is in incisors but if her molars are affected too then it can be serious and very expensive to sort out.

Links to some teeth articles: http://equinedentalvets.com/articles/periodontal-disease-overview

http://equinedentalvets.com/articles/
 
MudMudGloriousMud said:
I would be considering whether this pony is 8 or 18!
My mare has an unknown age (unpassported until I bought her) but is in her mid teens at her youngest, and she has teeth very similar.
Obviously soil/forage/feeding has an impact on dental wear, but the plaque along the gum line, and the deep, discoloured grooves in her teeth would suggest to me that this pony is older than her stated age.
Click to expand...

Judging by the teeth of this pony I would be highly doubtful that it is 18. Horses teeth lengthen as they age (hence the tern "long in the tooth") and these teeth are still quite upright. 8 years old is a qiute probable age. The calcis is not an indicator of age, more a component of the diet.
 
Cortez said:
Judging by the teeth of this pony I would be highly doubtful that it is 18. Horses teeth lengthen as they age (hence the tern "long in the tooth") and these teeth are still quite upright. 8 years old is a qiute probable age. The calcis is not an indicator of age, more a component of the diet.
Click to expand...

I don't want to get into a fight, but going by the book on aging by teeth, my mare (whom I have had for 7 years) would be coming 10. She certainly wasn't 3 when I bought her, as I had known her for 2 years before I bought her, and yet her teeth age her as approximately 10-13years.

I'm not saying that this pony isn't 8, but judging by her teeth, she is either older than her stated age, or has had a poor diet and forage needs.
 
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