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RE: [RC] Aging by teeth: Galvayne's Groove - Kathy Kelly

Thank you Susan for your response.  Sounds like both the teeth and papers
can lie and unless you buy a real youngster there can be a question about
true age.

What has troubled me is that every single vet that has looked at my horses
mouth for the last 14 mos has remarked that he looks to be around 20.  I
haven't asked any of them his age, they are just all surprised at how old
his teeth look, I'm guessing because he doesn't act or look that old
otherwise.  Its a little unsettling to have a ride vet open your horses
mouth and exclaim "how old IS this horse??".

Then to top it off when I went to a CTR last Nov the vet there said the
same thing, and commented that she had worked for the breeder around the
time Gabriel would have been born, and wouldn't be surprised if his papers
were incorrect.  Who knows, maybe the vet had a bone to pick, or maybe not.
But I did start to wonder then if maybe he really is older than I think.

I asked the vet who floated him last week a lot of details about why his
teeth look "old".  She said it isn't because of wear, that he actually has
nice length.  Its because of staining (the Galvayne's groove) and also
because of the change in shape of the tooth/gum junction on his front upper
teeth.

I'm not at all trying to bad-mouth the breeder.  They breed some of the
best horses out there, IMHO.  They have been very helpful in checking their
records regarding the date Gabriel's dam was bred.  He is my once-in-a
lifetime horse and has exceeded any expectations I had for him, on top of
being my best friend.  IF he is 5 yrs older than his papers show, and I had
known his actual age, I probably wouldn't have bought him - I'd have been
the loser.

I guess I'll never know for certain, and maybe it doesn't matter since I'll
ride him according to what he's capable of regardless.  But the more years
I have with this horse, the better!
Kathy Kelly




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