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about the eyes, whiteness of the teeth, those not being very long, and 

 meeting tolerably even, such are indications that the Horse is not so old as 

 to be past good service. Contrary-wise, a gaunt and sinking appearance, 

 bending of the back, falling of the belly, deadness of the hair, which in 

 the face will often be grey, sinking in the eye-pits, depression of the 

 bars of the mouth, discoloration and length of the teeth, those of the 

 upper jaw lapping over the under, the flesh receding from the upper 

 parts of the former, the roundness and bluntness of the tushes, the lower 

 lip pendulous— are the tokens, that the poor animal's work is nearly done, 

 and that little more can, or ought to be, expected from him. 



A Horse has forty teeth, viz. twenty-four molares, grinders, or double 

 teeth; four single teeth, or tushes; and twelve incisores, nippers, or 

 gatherers, being the front teeth; mares have generally no tushes. The 

 mark is sought in the corner teeth adjoining the tushes. 



The foal's teeth appear sometimes in a few weeks, sometimes later j 

 Ihey are in front, twelve in number, six above and six below ; short, 

 round and white, resembling human teeth, and easily distinguishable 

 from the adult, or Horses' teeth, with which they are afterwards 

 commixed. 



The colt, or filly, being two years and a half old, more or less, 

 acquires four Horses' teeth, two above and two below, instead of four 

 colt's teeth, which have been shed from the middle of the jaws. The 

 new teeth are stronger, and twice the size of the foal's teeth; and when 

 a colt has these four complete, he is reckoned three years old ; and 

 indeed in some, the change is not completed until that period. 



At the age of three years and a half, or between that period and his 

 becoming four years old, the colt loses four more of his first teeth : 

 two above and two below, one on each side the centre teeth. Being 

 four years old, the two middle teeth are full grown ; and the only colt's 

 teeth left are those at the corners, which will afterwards be replaced by 

 the mark-teeth. 



Somewhat before, or at four years old, the tushes may be felt ; they 

 are curved like those of other beasts, but in a young Horse are sur- 

 rounded by a sharp edge, and are in a degree hollow and grooved. 

 Being full four years old, the colt sheds his remaining four first teeth, 



which 



