THE AGE OF THE HORSE 



right across the table of the corner incisors. If the animal is 

 five years old, most of the wear is confined to the front edge. 



In a Horse at Six the back edges of the corner incisors are 

 just coming into wear, being less shelly than at five, though it 

 is not uncommon — certainly the exception — -to find the corner 

 incisors remaining shelly for years. The mark in the central 

 teeth is now very shallow, but fairly distinct in the lateral 

 incisors. More confusion is apt to arise regarding a horse at 

 seven and eight years. These are the ages when the buyer is 

 most liable to be taken advantage of. 



It is quite common to find a seller oft'ering an unwary 

 person a horse twelve or fourteen years old as one at seven or 

 eight. At seven, the mark in the corner incisor is still distinct, 

 and the teeth much better formed than at six years. The out- 

 lines of the central teeth are more triangular than at six, and 

 the mark more of an oval shape. At eight years the marks 

 are very shallow, close to the hinder edges of the teeth, and 

 nothing more than circular or irregular in outline. The tusks 

 (if present) are sharp at their points at six, blunter at seven, 

 still more so at eight. Looking at the lower incisor teeth of 

 an aged horse — it being usual to speak of such after eight years 

 — the mark shows, if at all, that it has practically become 

 obliterated through wear. When a horse reaches about ten 

 years, a groove begins to show itself on its outer face of the 

 upper corner incisor, and it is about half-way down if the 

 animal is fifteen or sixteen years. It is a good plan to look for 

 the presence of this groove, thus one may be prevented from 

 being sold an " old un." It is, of course, the tables of the 

 lower incise rs that one generally refers to for evidence of 

 wear. 



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