Rural School Leaflet. 1083 



the time they made their appearance. At nine years of age the cups 

 will have disappeared from the upper central teeth and be shallow in 

 the intermediate and fairly deep in the comers. The cups are not 

 likely to disappear at so regular intervals in the upper jaw as they do 

 in the lower. Therefore after he has passed his eighth year, it is not 

 always possible to tell the age of the horse within a year or two. Horses 

 with soft bones may show a mouth older than they really are, while 

 those with hard bones may show a mouth younger than they are. 



Ten years old. — At ten years of age the cups have disappeared from 

 the upper intermediates, but are still in the corners, though shallow. 

 The teeth are more triangular in shape. 



Eleven years old. — At eleven years of age the cups have all disappeared 

 from the upper jaw. However, it is not uncommon to find shallow 

 cups in the upper comer teeth as late as the twelfth or the fifteenth 

 year. The shape and angle of the incisors will prevent a close judge 

 from being much deceived. 



Later years. — After the horse has passed the twelfth year, the matter 

 of two or three years amounts to little. Much depends upon the individ- 

 uality of the animal, as some animals are worth more at eighteen years 

 than others are at fourteen. Judgment of the value of a horse at these 

 ages should be formed on general appearance and activity, rather than 

 on age, which can not be accurately determined. 



HARNESS AND HARNESSING 

 M. W. Harper 



The work of the horse is accomplished by means of harness. Properly 

 fxtted harness adds much to the efficiency and comfort of a horse. A 

 well-kept harness adds very materially to the general appearance of 

 the turn-out. Hence it is important to know the various parts of the 

 harness and the use of each. A set of harness is really quite compli- 

 cated and if we were asked to unbuckle the parts, mix them, and then 

 to buckle them together again there are few of us who could accomplish 

 the task quickly and with one trial. 



Nantes of the parts of a harness and uses: (See figures 37 and 38). 



1. Bridle — used to hold the bit in the mouth and to restrain the 

 horse. The parts are a — bit, b — nose band, c — chin band, d — face 

 band, e — blinds, f — winker braces, g — brow band, h — crown band, 

 i — gag swivel, j — side check, k — throat latch. 



2. Lines — used to control and restrain the horse. 



