No, not from a tongue tie for reasons others have given. I can’t say how things on done at Arapahoe Park but when I groomed briefly at the old Centennial Park back in the 70’s while living in Boulder they did things a bit differently then what I learned and grew up with at race tracks in the east. Western style I called it. But the many tracks I have and do go to horses are brought over to the paddock with a lip chain. The chain never is in their mouth. Though it can fall off the their upper lip if being handled buy an inattentive groom and left there all the way to the paddock. IMO based on the photos which is not as good as a personal examination it looks like a gum ulcer of some sort. Which we see on some of our horses from time to time that live out more then in. Generally comes from something they grazed on, a bit of horse nettle, or small growing hidden thistle in high grass etc. A pricker gets embedded and takes a while to work its way out. I have also seen stalled horses get it from the use of nylon hay nets especially the small “slow” feeding types (IMO never use nylon hay nets for a number of reasons). Or the same as above but from some sort of weed in the hay he was getting at the track.
His gums do look a bit prominent/swollen and his upper and low teeth look longer then they should be for a 3 year old having just looked at two 3 year olds TBs we have on R&R. If it wasn’t such a hassle to post pictures I would. It maybe just they way this horse is made or does he have some gum issues. Almost looks like his gums have receded around the teeth. Possibly what you are seeing is the blow out point from a tooth abscess?
If you have access to a Tooth Doc/Floater have them take a look. A vet might be more available but Floaters see a lot more horse mouths then vets. Me, I would monitor day to day and see if it is resolving itself. If it doesn’t get better in the next week or 2 get a Tooth Doc in. Especially if it is getting worse.
Let us know if you do determine exactly what it is from. Always like to learn new things.
No doubt he’s got stomach ulcers, but he’s on omeprazole and eating very well.
The horse is bright and eager and eating and drinking and peeing and pooping with nothing untoward. Mentally, he’s improved in huge leaps and bounds.
He doesn’t look like he’s even close to losing his next set of caps. Nothing loose and no edges showing. Everything is very stable.
He’s not been in a field ever, as far as I know. It’s my understanding this horse was kept in a dry lot pen situation in the off season. And he’s been at the track since at least memorial day, and could have shipped in as early as the end of April. IOW, no access to weird plants. I did consider blister beetles, as he was on straight alfalfa only, but these don’t look anything like the pics I’ve seen of blister beetle poisoning, and from what I’ve read, if that were the case, he would be very, very ill. (Or dead! He’s definitely not dead!)
The sores look healthier and healing today, so we’re moving in the right direction.
I have seen a lot of mouth ulcers from bute…
[QUOTE=BeverlyAStrauss;7109496]
I have seen a lot of mouth ulcers from bute…[/QUOTE]
Bingo.
