Body Language and Reading the Teeth

by Mary Gallagher

Recently I had the opportunity to learn from Jerry Schmidt about telling a horse's age by understanding and reading the teeth. I learned that there is a world of knowledge inside the horse's mouth that can help me communicate better with my horse. I cannot fit all of what I learned in this short article, but I would like to share the insight that knowing even a little about how your young horse's teeth develop can improve your training and communication.

From birth to 5 years old the horse's mouth is in constant growth:  

• Teeth erupting and shedding caps: At 1-2 years, most of the permanent molars are erupting and coming into wear before they lose their baby teeth (caps);
• Formation of bumps under the chin (premolars pushing off caps) at approximately 3 years;
• At ages 3 to 4, the last of the permanent molars are erupting and coming into wear; 
• At 4 to 5 ½, the canines have completed their eruption, and with the exception some of the larger breeds, most horses have all their adult teeth in wear.

All of these growth events cause inflammation in the gums, bars and skeletal structure surrounding the teeth. 

You may have noticed large lumps under the jaws of young horses at around 3 years. This is a sign of the molars developing, and this area can be very sensitive from age 3 to 5 years old. Even a loose-fitting nose band is likely to cause a horse discomfort. The canine teeth are also starting to erupt at this time causing the bars of the mouth to be sensitive as well. Using a bit during this phase is less than ideal. 

Doing your foundation training with a rope halter/hackamore or bitless bridle is a great way to ensure that you are not inviting resistance. Develop your horse in a sympathetic and unhurried way while his mouth is developing, and you will give him time to mature, bringing out the best in him as a performance and pleasure horse. 

If you answered 'yes' then you are right. As a pediatrician, answer 'A' was obvious to me. The white coating on the baby's tongue is caused by a yeast called Candida Albicans. It can be treated locally with antifungals like Nystatin, or if you want to get really messy, gentian violet.  In more severe cases it might need systemic treatment.

Most equestrians would hone in on answer 'B'. Hoof thrush, I found out, is a completely different beastie than human thrush. It is caused by a bacterium rather than a yeast, Fusobacterium necrophorum in most cases. It occurs naturally, especially in wet environments and thrives in low oxygen settings, like in the deep clefts of the frog. Unlike human thrush, hoof thrush is black and smelly. What the many listed topical treatments have in common is the need for excellent hoof care:  Whether it's Betadine, Tea Tree Oil, Borax, or bleach the trick is to expose the infected areas to air as much as possible and trim out the affected tissues.

Oh, if you're a birder, 'C' is your answer. Thrushes are made by Mr. and Mrs. Thrush getting together....and, well, you know......

It seems, nowadays, that there is this stigma attached to the word "quit". Even talking about it seems taboo. Well, I am going to tell you something you probably haven't heard before. There are two types of quitting: the 'I-give-up-and-no-longer-want-to-try' type of quitting, and the 'that-was-a-good-day-it's-time-to-stop' type of quitting. You don't need to be a genius to figure out which one is better and more socially acceptable. However, this article is not about quitting, but rather what will and should follow after one decides that it's quitting time. I urge you all to listen to what I am about to reveal to you, because my words are important...or at least they will be...someday. 

This article is about "quittin' talk". Many of you may be wondering as you read this, "What is this young'un blabbering on about?" Have patience; because I promise you, patience is a virtue that I will circle back to when this is all over. Quittin' talk is the act of engaging in conversation after a hard day's work, regardless of what that work may be. It is important to remember that after you are done flexing your muscles and your ego throughout the day, the brain would also like a little bit of attention. 

Not too long ago, I stopped by the arena to give my mother her cell phone, which she had left in her car all day, resulting in a dozen missed calls from who knows who (talk about the need for brain exercise). I strode into the arena looking rather handsome, if I do say so myself (and speaking of ego exercise), and proceeded to hand my mother her phone. It just happened to coincide that I entered the arena when she and her students were just completing the lesson for the day. Seeing them gathered, I decided to strike up a conversation. We engaged in dialogue on a vast range of topics like politics, religion, the meaning of life; who am I kidding, I talked mostly about myself but that's not the point here. The point is that the group of us took the time to wind down from our busy days and just enjoy each other's company and partake in intelligent conversation.

All tom-foolery aside, we must remember that, rather than collapsing in our beds after a hard days work, we should strive to give our minds a breath of fresh air. Case in point: let us enjoy the company of our friends and family and engage in conversation that delves into issues outside of our jobs and whatever activities we spent our whole day doing. 

At this point, some of you may be asking "what does this have to do with horsemanship?" or "why is this nonsense in Freedom Farm's newsletter?" Which I shall now answer. 

The entire time that my mother, her students and I were enjoyably conversing, the horses, who had just worked so hard, also had a chance to catch their breath and relax. As we know, offering comfort in the appropriate moment is an effective way to educate your horse, but horses also learn while they are relaxing and just hanging out. Have you ever stopped on a good note with your horse, and then found when you got him out the next day that he had somehow connected all the dots over night? Well, it took me 'til well after our conversation to realize that during the entire time, the horses hadn't moved or seemed the least bit displeased with having their riders just stand around and chat. Horses do the same thing with each other; they simply stand together and form natural bonds with one another. It is important for a rider to do exactly that with their horse from time to time, so they too can bond. The point of "quittin' talk" is to take time at the end of the day to connect with those around you, and this goes double for riders and their horses. 

So rather than just leading your horse back to the pen or pasture, do them and yourself a favor and just hang around and talk with your fellow riders and friends every now and then. Don't worry; your horse enjoys the time to just stand and bond with you. After all, they are incredibly patient creatures. 

Thomas and friends