Rural School Leaflet. 



tOQO 



Fig. 115. — Lower nippers of 

 an eight-year-old horse 



Eight years old. — At eight years of age, the cups have disappeared 

 from the teeth in the lower jaw. One must not be misled by the slight 

 dark colored indentations that are still present for they are not deep 



enough to be called cups (Fig. 115). It is 

 well to bear in mind that, from the time 

 when the teeth in the lower jaw are well up 

 and in wear, to the time the cups have dis- 

 appeared in the lower jaw, is three years. 

 The shape of the tooth has undergone 

 marked changes. Compare Fig. 108 with 

 Fig. 115 and Fig. no with Fig. 116. In the 

 first instance the teeth were thin from out- 

 side to inside, and comparatively broad 

 from right to left, while in the latter case 

 they are much thicker from inside to outside. They have become more 

 triangular in shape. If viewed from the side, they will appear some- 

 what longer and will meet at a sharper angle than they did when the 

 horse was younger. As years go by, the angle of the teeth increases. 

 At three years of age; the upper and lower teeth meet nearly vertically, 

 while at twenty they meet at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees. 



Nine years old. — The teeth in the upper jaw retain their cups a much 

 longer time; in fact, just twice as long, disappearing in six years from 

 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 corners. The cups are not 

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

 in the lower. Therefore it is not always possible to tell the age of the 

 horse within a year or two after he has passed his eighth year. 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 inter- 

 mediates, but are still in the comers 

 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 corner 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. 



Fig. 116. — Side view of the 

 nippers of an old horse. 



