After seven, the age may be known by the upper 

 jaw, the teeth of which have the same marks, but 

 they do not fill up so fust by two years ; so that a 

 tolerably correct judgment of his age may be formed 

 until he is twelve years old. The marks in ihe two 

 from teeth of the upper jaw are not obliterated until 

 eight years old, and the next two become smooth only 

 at the tength year ; being each two years later than 

 happens to the corresponding teeth of the lower jaw ; 

 whilst the two corner teeth above do not lose their 

 marks until the twelfth year. 



All horses are marked in the same manner. Ar- 

 tificial ones made by tiie jockey, to imitate six or se- 

 ven years old must be guarded against. Some throw 

 down the horse to have him more at command, and 

 xvith a steel graver, like what are used for ivory, hoi- 

 low the middle teeth a little, and the corner ones 

 somewhat more ; then fill the holes with a little rosin 

 or pilch, or sulphur, or some grains of wheat, which 

 they burn in with a bit of hot wire, made in propor- 

 tion to the hole. This is repealed until they give the 

 hole a lasting black, in imitation of nature ; but in 

 spite of all they can do, the hot iron makes a little 

 yellowish circle round these holes^ like what it would 

 leave upon ivory ; they have therefore another trick 

 to prevent detection, which is, rubbing the horse's 

 mouth, lips, and gums with salt, aud the crumb of 

 bread dried and powdered with salt, from time to time 

 to make the horse foam at the mouth, v.'hich foam 

 hides the yellow circle made with the iron. 



It may be well to remark, that the tushes are safe 

 guides, after the marks disappear from the teeth. — 



If the tusk be pointed flat, and you can feel with 

 your fingers two little channels on the within side, 

 you may be certain the horse is not old, and at the 

 most only coming ten. Between eleven and twelve 

 the two channels are reduced to one, which after 

 twelve is quite gone, and the tushes are as round 

 within as they are without. When horses are young 

 also the teeth mest perpendicularly, but grow longer 

 and push forward with age ; besides, the mouth of a 

 young horse is very fleshy within the palate, and his 

 lips are firm and hard ; on the contrary, the inside of 



