178 ON THE AGE OF THE HORSE. 



cavities in the corner teeth, yet he cannot aher 



then- horizontal direction, nor restore them to 



the perpendicular approximation which is the 



attendant of youth. Vide fig. K. Neither can 



he re-produce the prominence of the ridges of 



the roof of the mouth, nor furnish the tuslies 



with their original concave surfaces. As it suits 



the purpose of the dealer to make an old horse 



appear younger, so does he sometimes find it 



convenient to make a young horse appear older. 



A horse is more saleable at five years old than at 



four, on which account the dealer attempts to 



produce an additional year, by drawing the 



corner teeth before the natural period of their 



dropping out. The bars of the mouth are also 



cut to \<^t the tushes protrude prematurely. But 



although the corner teeth are removed, and the 



protrusion of the new teeth is thereby somewhat 



accelerated, yet it is an unerring rule, that the 



, animal has not attained his fifth year until the 



corner teeth, both of the upper and lower jaw, 



arc complete in their size and appearance, and 



the 



