126 



PROCESS OF TEETHING 



wear in the other nippers — the small size of the corner ones— 

 the little growth of the tush — the smalhiess of the second grinder 

 —the low fore-hand — the legginess of the colt, and the thick- 

 ness and little depth of the mouth, will, to the man of common 

 experience among horses, at once detect the cheat. 



The tushes (see Fig. 13,) are four in number, two in each 

 jaw, situated between the nippers and the grinders — much 

 nearer to the former than the latter, and nearer in the lower jaw 

 than in the upper, but this distance increasing in both jaws with 

 the age. It is conical, protrudes about an inch from the gum, 

 and is sharp pointed and curved. Mares have the rudiments of 

 them, and they usually appear externally in old age. 



The appearance of the tush in the horse may vary from four 

 years to lour years and six months. It can only be accelerated a 

 few weeks by cutting the gum over it. 



At four years and a half, or between that and five, the last im- 

 portant change takes place in the mouth of the horse. The cor- 

 ner nippers are shed, and the permanent ones begin to appear 

 The central nippers are considerably worn, and the next pair are 

 commencing to show marks of usage. The tush has now pro- 

 truded, and is generally a full half-inch in height ; externally it 

 has a rounded prominence, with a groove on either side, and it is 

 evidently hollowed within. The reader needs not to be told that 

 after the rising of the corner nipper, the animal changes its 

 name — the colt becomes a horse, and the filly a raiare. 



At five years the horse's mouth is almost perfect, (see Fig. 21.) 

 Yig, 21. T^^ corner nippers are quite up, 



with the long deep mark irreg- 

 ular on the inside ; and the 

 other nippers bearing evident 

 tokens of increasing wearing. 

 The tush is much grown — the 

 grooves have almost or quite 

 disappeared, and the outer sur- 

 face is regularly convex. It is 

 still as concave within, and with 

 the edge nearly as sharp as it 

 was six months before. The 

 sixth molar is quite up, and the 

 third molar is wanting. This 

 last circumstance, if the general 

 appearance of the animal, and particularly his forehead and the 

 w^earing of the centre nippers, and the growth and shape of the 

 tushes, are likewise carefully attended to, will prevent deception 

 if a late four-years-old is attempted to be substituted for a five 

 The nippers may be brought up a few months before their time 



