444 NAV1]N' ox THE HOESE. 



furnish approximate certainty — perhaps enable one to judge 

 within a year or two, in all ordinary cases. In the first place, 

 it will be necessary to consider the first or original form of 

 the nippers. It will be remembered that when the mouth is 

 perfect, the nippers present on their edges, or cutting surface, 

 an oval shape, the length of the oval running across from tooth 

 to tooth. At eight this appearance is very marked. The 

 teeth being wider at the top than lower down toward the roots, 

 as has been before remarked, they must necessarily become 

 narrower on their cutting edges as they are worn down. At 

 first they measure widest from side to side, but as they wear 

 down, they become nearer round, until finally they become 

 broadest from inward to outward. xVt the same time, also, 

 the oval appearance of the top is becoming shorter and 

 shorter until it becomes round, and at last gets to run 

 from out inward. Another indication of some importance is 

 the form of the flesh, or gum, around and between the teeth 

 at their roots, and to which I shall refer in connection with 

 the wear of the teeth. 



Soon after eight the cutters will begin to change their shape 

 from oval, becoming round. At nine the front pair will have 

 become perceptibly more round, and a little apart. At ten 

 the others begin to have the oval shortened. At eleven the 

 second ones will have become quite round, with the spaces be- 

 tween them and the first opening ; and at thirteen the corner 

 ones will have become of this shape. From fourteen to fifteen 

 the face of the middle nippers look triangular. At seventeen 

 all of them will have the triangular appearance. At nine- 

 teen the triangular corners begin to v/ear ofi", and the oval 

 changes in the front nippers from running laterally to out- 

 ward and inward; and, the last change that can bo traced, they 

 all wear this appearance at twenty-one. 



A strong presumption of the horse's age may be drawn 

 from the appearance of the roots of the teeth. It will be re- 

 membered that the enamel extends but a little below the gum. 



