268 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



CHAPTER XXVI 



ON THE HORSE'S TEETH 



If my readers will refer to the introductory 

 part of this work, they will see that it was 

 not my intention to have made any further 

 remark on the age of the Horse, having heard 

 8o many contradictory opinions, and such out 

 of the way judgments, that I thought it would 

 only be taking up tlie time cf those who may 

 wish to learn, without obtaining that end ; but 

 as some of my readers have wished it, I have 

 had the annexed plate correctly engraven for 

 this work only, with full explanation of each 

 figure, which I deem to be perfectly correct. 



The teeth are incontestibly the parts of the 

 body, capable of furnishing the most certain 

 indications of the number of years that the 

 animal has lived ; and the incisor teeth, in 

 particular, are suitable for this purpose. They 

 are indeed the only teeth that give correct 

 ideas on the age of the Horse, throughout 

 almost the entire duration of his life. The 

 difficulty of examining the molar teeth, and 

 the irregularity of their table, prevent our 

 being able to obtain any result fiom the in- 

 spection of these teeth As to the tushes, 

 (besides mares not being provided with them) 

 the period of their protrusion varies much, as 

 they do not rub against each other, but side- 

 ways, and across, they can only be considered 

 as accessory means of judging. 



KXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 



Fig. 1. The state of this end of a jaw 

 marks four years and a half old. The Horse- 

 dividers, newly shot out, are still quite fresh, 

 and not as yet on a level with the nippers. 

 The inner edge of the latter are still un- 

 touched, and lower than the external edge. 

 The sucking corner-teeth are much more 

 worn, and present only the extremity of the 

 funnel. 



Fig. 2. A Horse just closing up to five 

 years old. The corner-teeth have a short 

 time shot out, they are fresh and untouched ; 

 the nippers begin to lose the mark ; the ex- 

 ternal edge of the dividers have undergone 

 some wear ; but the inner is nicked, as yet 

 untouched, and lower than the outer. 



Fig. 3. This figure represents the age of a 

 Horse, six years old. The nippers have lost 

 their mark ; the dividers have nearly so ; but 

 the inner edge of the corner-teeth are still 

 untouched, and also slightly nicked. 



Fig. 4. A jaw, in which the incisors mark 

 seven years old complete; and the nippers 

 and dividers have completely lost the mark ; 

 the inner edge of the corner-teeth is on a 

 level with the outer, in consequence of Avear. 



Fig. 5. In this jaw of eight years old, all 



