HORSE PRODUCTION 



129 





7_An 8-year-old mouth. TEe cups 

 out of nil the lower teeth. 



fig. 9 A 22-year-old mouth. The incisors meel at 

 an acute angle and the wearing surfaces have 

 triangular shape. 



Fig. 8 A- 14-yvar-e!d mouth. After 8 years the age 

 i* estimated by the angle at which the incisors 

 come together, by their length, and by the shape 



' of the wearing surface. The older the horse the 

 nearer this surface approaches a triangle. It Is 

 practically impossible to estimate the age correct- 

 Iv after the caps have disappeared from the teeth. 



CONDITION OF THE TEETH. 



This Is one of the first points that 

 should be considered In purchasing a horse 

 or in the care of one. Many a horse be- 

 comes weak, poor in condition, and ema- 

 ciated simply as a result of bad teeth which 

 have been neglected. If the horse turns 

 his head to one side while eating, shows 

 signs of poor nutrition, and passes whole 

 grains of oats or corn with the feces, his 

 teeth need attention. 



The continual grinding of the teeth In 

 eating causes the outer edges of the upper 

 molars and the inner edges of the lower 

 molars to become sharp. These sharp edges 

 lacerate the thin skin of the inner cheek 

 and the tongue, and make chewing painful. 

 This and irregular teeth tend to cause the 

 animal to imperfectly chew his feed before 

 swallowing it; and unless the teeth re- 

 ceive proper attention, the animal becomes 

 emaciated. 



In old animals the teeth often become 

 smooth, making it impossible for them to 

 chew hay and grain. In such cases only soft 

 feeds should be given. 



An examination of the teeth may be 

 made by running the hand Into the mouth 

 and feeling them to see if they are sharp 

 or if any of them are too long. Only a 

 qualified veterinarian should be allowed to 

 treat the teeth. 



