360 THE HORSE 



half-way down (Plate XXIV.), and in 6 more years' time 

 will have reached the bottom, when the horse is 21 years 

 old. By the amount of growth of this groove the age of 

 the horse can be fairly calculated. 



After the groove has reached the bottom it begins to leave 

 the gums at the top, where the tooth then becomes round 

 (Plate XXV.), and by the time the animal has reached 

 30 years this round, grooveless part will have descended 

 nearly a third of the tooth. By this time also the teeth 

 in the lower jaw will extend from the jaw in almost a 

 straight line, having lost all curve. 



Since the cups are such important guides to the age at a 

 time of life when the animal is at its prime, dishonest 

 attempts are made to provide fictitious cups — a process 

 which goes by the designation of " Bishopping." The 

 horse is thrown for the purpose, and cups are scooped out of 

 the crowns with engraving tools, being afterwards burnt 

 black with a red-hot iron. But round a natural cup there is 

 always a ring which cannot be imitated, and the hot iron 

 also stains the surrounding enamel, so that when once a 

 bishopped mouth has been examined the deception is easily 

 recognised when met with again. 



The tushes are usually seen in geldings at 4 years, and 

 with stallions a little earlier. They are at first pointed with 

 sharply defined edges, but these get rounded with age, and 

 the top gets blunter. 



