Contrary to the old adage, it pays to look a gift horse in the mouth. When we first looked at Mikey, I slid my thumb between his molars and his cheeks to get a sense of his teeth. YOUCH! Those painfully sharp points could well explain the bucking the only time his previous owner rode him.

Despite his sharp edges, Miley’s teeth are otherwise in good shape. The upper and lower arcades match up: no parrot mouth or monkey mouth here. The milk teeth in his corner incisor position confirm that he is indeed 4. No sign of cribbing on his front incisors.

The equine dentist will be out here day after tomorrow. ‘Til then, no bit. No sense in causing Mikey unnecessary pain or opening up a behavioral can of worms.

… As for the saying, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” it was first recorded in 1546 by one John Heywood, a court musician and playwrite. Definitely not a horseman!