498 THE HORSE TEETHING 



narrower than the centrals and middles. The outside walls 

 of the corner teeth are generally level with those of the 

 middles and centrals when the colt has attained the age of 

 eight months. From this age very little change can be 

 observed in the appearance of these teeth, except that they 

 gradually show more wear, and become smooth at the crown. 

 At one year old the 'cup' (or what is also known as the 

 infundibulum) in the crown of the teeth has disappeared from 

 the two centrals ; at eighteen months, from the two middles ; 

 and when the animal is two years old a similar change is 

 observed in the two corners, so that by this time all the 

 crowns of the lower incisors have become flat and smooth. 

 The temporary incisors appear simultaneously in both jaws." 

 They differ from the straight, inverted-cone shaped per- 

 manent teeth in being " semicircular in shape," with a decided 

 "shoulder" where the upper part, "smooth like a finger- 

 nail," merges into the fang. 



At three years the two "central" permanent incisors 

 or "horse" teeth (Fig. 31) on the lower jaw are up level 

 with the adjoining temporaries, and at four years the 

 next pair or " middles " (Fig. 32) are up level with the two 

 permanent centrals, the four below having a well-defined groove 

 running down the centres in front (Fig. 33). At five years 

 the two "corner" ones (Fig. 33) have come, making a full 

 mouth ; also the four tushes in the male. " Neither the 

 corner incisors in the lower jaw nor any of the upper incisors 

 have any decided groove when they first appear." Between 

 these periods, before the permanent teeth have successively 

 become level, while the fangs of the milk teeth are being 

 absorbed in consecutive order and the permanent teeth are 

 growing, a colt is said to be in turn " two-year-old off," then 

 " rising three," " three off," " rising four," " four off," " rising 

 five." 



At six years, the hollow or cup on the top of each tooth 

 of the central or first pair is nearly worn out, and at seven 

 years the second pair, the middles, is almost levelled the 

 depression in the first pair having entirely disappeared ; at 

 eight years all have usually been worn nearly level, and 

 before nine is reached " mark of mouth " is lost. Indications 

 of greater age are grey hairs about the head, deep hollows 

 above the eyes, an angular, aged look about the body, 



