EXAMINING A HORSE FOR SOUNDNESS 355 



At five years (Plate XVIII.) the incisors should be fully 

 grown ; the cups in the centre teeth still well developed, 

 though more worn than those of the others ; and the inside 

 walls of the corner teeth should be thin compared with 

 the outside ones, and not quite level with them. 



The top corner teeth should be much wider than they are 

 long ; and a notch may be felt in the centre of the inside 

 wall. If the milk teeth have been knocked out, from time to 



PLATE XIX. 



Lower Jaw of Mare's Mouth at 6 years old. 



Cups leaving the centrals. Cups a little larger in the middles. Inside 

 wall of corner teeth level. Outside wall thicker than at 5 years. 



time, to force on the growth of the permanent teeth so as to 

 make the horse appear older than he legitimately is, the 

 guides to detection are the appearance of the cups, which 

 will be quite gone in the centrals but fully developed in the 

 middles, instead of the difference between the two being 

 clearly graduated, the reason being that an unfair amount 

 of wear has been forced upon the centrals, by the knocking 

 out of the middle teeth before Nature intended them to be 



