370 



TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



up the croup, and increase the slope of the front pasterns. A 

 horse in such a position is more apt to hold it than a horse stand- 

 ing naturally, and for all these reasons it is practiced by horse- 

 men. It also has the advantage of covering up defects in the 

 set of the legs, particularly a sickle hock. If a horse with sickle 

 hocks is stretched or "camped out" a bit, his hind cannons 

 become vertical, and the novice is likely to overlook the fact 

 that the line of his cannons, even though it is vertical, points 

 back of his buttock, often to a considerable degree. (See C 

 in accompanying drawings, and note that this is not the same 

 as^C in Fig. 121.) It is only by noting carefully the direction 

 of the lines indicated in the accompanying drawings that one 

 can detect this fault. 



Fig. 124. Sickle Hock. 



A, Hind leg of a horse of correct conformation; B and C, two positions 

 of the hind leg of a horse with a sickle hock; B, in a position easily exposing 

 the defect; C, in a position in which the defect is not so apparent. 



Determination of age from the teeth. The age of the horse 

 is easily determined up to and including the fifth year by an 

 examination of the incisor teeth, of which there are three pairs 

 in the upper jaw and three pairs in the lower. All of these 

 incisors are temporary or milk teeth up to two years of age. At 

 birth none of the temporary teeth have cut the gums, but at 

 one year they have all appeared and the middle and intermediate 

 pairs are in wear, but the corner pairs are not fully in wear. 

 At two years, all of the temporary teeth are in wear. At 2% 

 to 3 years, the middle pair above and below are shed, and are 

 replaced by permanent incisors. These are broader, heavier 

 teeth, and have a rather rough or corrugated surface, whereas 



