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seventh and eighth year, all the teeth are filled, and the mark is 

 generally obliterated at eight years old, when the Horse is said to be 

 aged, and his mouth full. At nine and ten years old, the tushes 

 become smooth and blunt, the cavity or channel to be felt in the upper 

 tushes, generally until ten years, being then entirely obliterated. The 

 dark spot, however, remains several years after, upon the summits of 

 the teeth of some Horses, which appearance, taken singly, Avould indi- 

 cate them only eight years of age, rendering it necessary to take 

 into the question the other indications of age already stated. 



If the teeth shut close and even, are tolerably white, and not very 

 long, the gums and the palate, or bars of the mouth, plump, and other 

 signs corresponding, the Horse may be concluded not more than nine 

 years old. Henceforward, his teeth become yellow and foul, appearing 

 to lengthen from the shrinking or receding of the gums. At eleven, 

 the teeth will be very long, black, and foul, yet may meet even ; but 

 at twelve years old the upper will overhang the nether jaw : afterwards 

 the tushes will either be worn to stumps, or remain long and black, 

 like those of an old boar. 



The trick of bishopping Horses, or of graving a counterfeit mark 

 on the corner teeth, was formerly much more in use than at present. 

 But such mark has always an artificial appearance ; and as it can 

 seldom correspond with the state of the tusks and other tokens of age, 

 no purchaser need be deceived by it, although the teeth be scraped and 

 filed down short and even. I saw one instance of endless misery 

 brought upon a poor animal, by treatment of this kind. From the 

 injury done to her teeth she was ever after incapable of chewing either 

 hay or corn, generally swallowing the latter whole, and dropping the 

 former from her mouth in attempting to chew it ; in consequence she 

 was ever weak and incapable of labour, and thence, from a seemingly 

 unavoidable injustice, liable to perpetual abuse. The perpetrators of 

 such villany ought to have a mark of infamy set upon them, that they 

 may be detested and avoided by all who have any pretence to honesty 

 and humanity. 



THE 



