Horses 325 



horses, as published by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture. 



" Until a horse is over 10 years old the teeth furnish an in- 

 dication of age which is fairly accurate. In estimating the 

 age of a horse, only the three pairs of front teeth or nippers 

 on each jaw are considered. Horses, like human beings, 'have 

 two sets of teeth ; the first set, known as milk teeth, being re- 

 placed by permanent teeth. New teeth have deep cups, or 

 indentations, at their centers. As the teeth wear down these 

 cups disappear. 



" A colt does not usually get its first pair of nippers until it 

 is a few days old, but has all three pairs by the time it is 6 to 

 10 months old. Until a colt is 3 years old, however, its general 

 appearance is relied upon largely to indicate its age. Follow- 

 ing is a description of the yearly changes which ordinarily 

 occur in the teeth of a horse. 



" One year. The center pair of milk incisors, known as the 

 pinchers, and the pair next to them, known as the intermediates, 

 are well through the gums and in contact, but the corner pairs 

 do not yet meet on a level. 



" Two years. The pinchers and the intermediates indicate 

 that they are being crowded by the permanent teeth, as they 

 are pushed free from their gums at the base. By the time the 

 colt is 2^ years old the middle pinchers should be through. 

 The permanent teeth are much larger than the temporary ones. 



" Three years. The middle pinchers are large enough for 

 use. Their deep cups show plainly. The milk intermediates 

 are about to be shed. 



" Four years. The permanent intermediates appear at 

 3-J years and are ready for use at 4. The corner teeth give 

 evidence that the permanent corners are coming. The cups 

 in the pinchers are about one-third gone. (The tusks, or 

 canine teeth, of male colts may appear about this time.) 



" Five years. The temporary corner teeth are shed at 4-J 

 and the permanent ones are ready to use. The horse has now 



