DENTITION IN THE HORSE. 



pen.ponu-y, .... ^-^^^^ = 24 



Formula J 



I ^ 1 r 



I Permjuient, „ ' ' ^ = 40 



The horse has thirty-six or forty teeth, according to the sex 

 of the animal, which are divided into three groups, — the incisors^ 

 the molars, and the tusks. In front are the incisors, to each 

 side the tush or canine teeth, and still farther hack, on the sides, 

 the molars. (Fig. 1.) The first are used to grasp and cut the 

 food, the second to tear it, and the third to hruise and grind it up. 

 Following their position in the jaw, the teeth form a paraholic 

 curve, known as the dental arches, of which there are two, — one 

 in the upper jaw and one in the lower jaw. These arches are 

 again subdivided into three portions, an anterior and two lateral. 

 The incisor teeth form the anterior part, in the shape of a half- 

 circle, convQX in front. On each side, directly behind the in- 

 cisors is a space, larger or smaller, according to the sex of the 

 animal, which corresponds to the intermaxillary and maxillary 

 bones, and extends to the lateral part of the dental arch. This 

 is known as the interdental space. It is plain and extensive in 

 mares, because they ordinarily do not have tush teeth ; but when 

 they do, as in the male, it is divided into two parts, known as 

 the anterior and posterior. The latter, in the lower jaw, is 

 known as the bar of the jaw. Further behind, to the riglit and 

 left, forming, as it were, branches or sides to the dental arch, 

 are found the molar teeth. 



In the adult animal there are in each jaw six incisors, 

 two tush teeth, and twelve molars, making a total of forty for 

 the horse, and, without the tush teeth, thirty-six for the mare. 

 In the colt there are twelve incisors and twelve molars, the 

 latter divided into rows of three above and three below on each 

 side. In the young animal the tush teeth do not exist. How- 



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