# Telling a Horse's Age



## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

There is a thread on this here with a few links that may help you. 

I don't know if anyone can help you via pictures but I do know you will need pics of the bottom teeth(top of them) as well as a side shot. How old do you believe the horse to be?


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm not sure, but I would think if you got a picture of the teeth, front view with the mouth closed and then a picture of the bottom teeth. Open the mouth and take it looking down on the top.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

okay, its duke.. and there has been alot of contradicting onhis age.. about two years ago my barn owner and the owner of duke said he was about 11 then about a year later she said 16 so now she says 17.. so we are unsure about his age.. kevin, a guy that rides horses says he isnt over ten but im not sure and i really want to know. cuz my parents says he too old to do somethings i want to teach him to do.. i.e. barrel racing and jumping.. i think he isnt too old for either but i really want to know his age.. even if he is too old i will just take it slow and do it for fun cuz i would never sell that horse for anything! but ill try to remember to get some pics.. is there any way i can find out his age?? like what steps should i go through and/or what should i look for? thanks for you twos help!


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## BeauReba (Jul 2, 2008)

If he's too old to do something he will let you know! As long as he's healthy and happy there's no reason to stop jumping or barrel racing.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

thanks! that what i am trying to convince my parents with but yeah..it aint working... if i could have an exact estimate of his age than that will help!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I believe I read about a 32 year old gelding that was STILL competing in in endurance. 

If you're not training to be a 1D barrel racer, then there's no harm in teaching it to him, same thing with jumping. I say go for it!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

wat id 1d..i dont know all this deep stuff i just know the basics of somethings then the real deep stuff of others.lol..thanks again for all the help!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I do believe it's divison 1.. as in like pro barrel racers. They have to be a certain time, but I dont know it.


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## BeauReba (Jul 2, 2008)

Why don't you get the vet to check next time he's out to do shots/check-up?


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

well, see that will be the like next year sometime...duke has already got his shots for this year.. so i cant get pictures today because i will not be going down to the stables since it is raining but i will go down some other time this week! see ya then!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

*i got pics!*

ok..lol.. dont laugh at me but it is impossible to take pictures of a horse's teeth without a second person to help!lol! but i did try and i hope you can help me from these pics.. if not i will also have more pictures sometime this weekend, hopefully!! remember.. he is supposedly from 14-17 yrs but we are unsure!! thanks again to all who attempt to help me!lol!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

sorry they are so big.. and one of the pics the teeth look really long for some reason i think its cuz i was moving and duke was moving too.lol


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

even if Duke happened to be 17 as long as he's healthy you can do anything. Some of the best gran prix jumpers are competeing till 19 or so. I had one of the horses at our barn was a gran prix jumper and just retired at 21! Right now we have a 4th level dressage horse that is still giving lessons and he's 31.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

well, i know but my parents think that he is too "old" to learn new things.. ugh, but whatever.. i know he can do it and as soon as i can find a nice flat arena or field to ride in i will... bu can anyone tell his age by these pics??

thanks for your input foxyroxy!


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Katie, based on what I see he still has his wolf teeth. It would be more accurate if You could show pics of the cups on his bottom teeth but I'm pretty confident that based on the pictures he is in the 18 year old range.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

what exactly do you mean the cup on his bottom teeth like the top of his bottom teeth.. i will be able to get that picture like mon. or tues. since that will be when i will have someone at the stables with me to take the picture while i try to get hi mto open his mouth.lol.. but thanks!


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

The tops of his bottom teeth will be a big help. Also take a picture of the last tooth before his bars on top.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

what is his bars??


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

The space between his teeth where the bit fits.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

hmm.. i might have a pic of that! let me go look.. but i dont think it was really good.. like it was blurry and stuff but ill go make sure! thanks again for everyone's help!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

the thirdd picture is of the the bar.. i think... i know that is the tooth on the top behind where the bit goes.. or maybe the bit goes behind it.. oh i dont know.lol.. but ill get a pic of his top of his bottom teeth sometime this week! thanks again guys!


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

The third picture shows his wolf tooth which should have been removed.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

what is his wolf teeth?


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I have circled his wolf tooth in the photo. Usually they are removed because often they cause problems, but not always.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

lol..ok i think i got it! @ least i hope so.. so is this the tooth i need to get a pic of? and i wont forget the top of his bottom teeth!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

No, he's looking for a picture of the tooth in FRONT of the BAR... so the furthest back front tooth...

check out this link for identification...
EqWest Fact Sheet 11


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

lol. ok i still dont get it.. im trying though!lol!
bear with me!!


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

northernmama said:


> I have circled his wolf tooth in the photo. Usually they are removed because often they cause problems, but not always.



Aren't those the canines? I know the pic is pretty fuzzy but the wolf teeth are way back directly in front of the molars. I don't think that's a wolf tooth.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

according to that website, you're right Appy.

Do canines have to be removed?


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

just wanted to say thanks again.. ill try to get somebody to come down and help me.. i cant do it by myself! but thanks all for trying...


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Appyt said:


> Aren't those the canines? I know the pic is pretty fuzzy but the wolf teeth are way back directly in front of the molars. I don't think that's a wolf tooth.


 Ya, you could be right... I think you are... the photo was quite blurry... excuses, excuses... I didn't pay close enough attention. 
However, in the link , I think they are showing the wolf teeth actually too far back... (trying to defend my brain-hiccup...)


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

Appylover, the canines stay. If they get very long they need to be rasped down by the dentist.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

also... a part of his lip looks like it was cut off or something.. its the bottom lip ill get a pic of.. i mean its not bleeding its healed ot whatever i just always wondered bou tit


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## Horse Poor (Aug 20, 2008)

I think your horse is over 20. See that groove on the teeth? That appears at the gum line at around 10, extends half way down the tooth by 15, all the way down at 20, is half way gone at 25 and completely gone at 30. Since it starts at the gum line and goes toward the grinding surface of the tooth, it looks like the groove is less than half way gone from gum line to grinding surface, so he would be over 20 but less 25 as it doesn't seem to be half way gone. Another indicator would be to look at the shape of the grinding surface of the incisor teeth. The shape changes from oval, to triangular and after 20 to rectangular. The tooth that is circled is indeed a canine, indicating that he is a he (male)...most mares do not have them and those that do are typically much smaller than those of their male counterparts.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Appyt said:


> Appylover, the canines stay. If they get very long they need to be rasped down by the dentist.


Gem and Monty have them and I thought they were the wolf teeth and had to be removed, but they dont bother them so I never mentioned it to the dentist.

Glad to know they are canines.

Do all males get canine teeth?

Sorry for hijacking your thread Katie


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

You are both right and I stand corrected! They are canines not wolf as I first thought - good catch!!


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

_Do all males get canine teeth?_

I "think" all the boys do. Not common in mares tho.

IRIDEHORSES, It happens. I actually had to go look more than once cuz I was surprised when you named them wolf.

I do think the canine/wolf names often confuse people about these teeth, plus you rarely see the wolf teeth as they are just in front of the molars. And usually have been removed by age 2 anyway.


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

*i got better pics!*

ok guiys here is some better pics thanks to the help of a friend.  hope these help! and thank you all for the help!


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## katieandduke (Apr 13, 2008)

heres the pics


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

Katie, you forgot the pics.


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

Crap I did an edit but it didn't work cuz time was up.. I lost my dang post.. bummer... 

Go here and scroll down, compare to your horses teeth.

Go here also and check these views.. 

sorry I am sposed to be cleaning house and don't have but a minute to sit.. Bad T....


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