38 



ELEMENTS OF HIPPOLOGY. 



Figure 27.— The Tables at Twenty 



gums; the edges of the teeth, to see if they are chipped; their 

 margins near the gums; for tartar. Look next at the front faces 

 of the teeth, and compare the relative lengths of the axes of the 

 center teeth, remembering that the greater the disparity in these 

 lengths, the older the horse. Next, open the horse's mouth, and 

 look at the tables. The first thing to notice is the table of the 

 corner teeth to see if the wall has grown up on the inside; look 

 for the mark, the shape of the tables, the dental star, the curva- 

 ture of the line joining the centers of the tables, and the slope of 

 the inner faces of the teeth. If the mark is gone from all the 

 lower teeth, look for it in the upper. The horse that has the 

 mark in all his upper teeth is probably not very old — perhaps 

 between nine and thirteen, probably not more than the latter. 

 Beware of triangular tables; they are never found in the young 

 horse — always in the old. 



