REMARKS. 81 



the mouth as they ought to have been ; they 

 projected a little obliquely forward, and they 

 were very yellow: this furnishes a better crite- 

 rion in these doubtful mouths. 



To discover the age, therefore, examine care- 

 fully, first, the marks in the teeth; secondly, if 

 the tushes are small and sharp, or grown round 

 and dumpy; thirdly, the length of the teeth; 

 and, lastly, the position and colour of the teeth. 



Up to six years old, there is not much diffi- 

 culty in deciding; and from six until eight, if 

 you balance all these four rules, not taking the 

 marks solely as a guide, you will generally tell 

 within six months. After eight, it is all guess ; 

 yet, when the tush is round and blunted, and the 

 marks in the two upper front nippers are gone, 

 you may conclude he is turned of nine, though 

 marks should remain in the lower jaw ; but the 

 upper front nippers are, nowadays, also some- 

 times bishoped, and I have seen a horse of six- 

 teen sold for a seven-year old. At ten, the 

 marks in the two front horse-nippers in the upper 

 jaw; at twelve, the marks in the two middle 

 horse-nippers in the upper jaw ; and at fourteen, 

 the marks in the two corner horse-nippers in the 

 upper jaw will sometimes, at these respective 

 ages, also wear out regularly ; though these can- 

 not be depended on like the lower jaw : but a 



G 



