16 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



the other. At twenty years of age the dividers are 

 ol the same shape. Finally, at twenty-one years oi 

 age this shape appears in the corner teeth also." 



Although some foals have been dropped in Decem- 

 ber, the usual period is the month of May, from which 

 its age may be generally dated. Many horses have 

 been known to live to a great age ; but the usual prac- 

 tice of making the animal work when too young, and 

 by that means prematurely exhausting its strength, 

 considerably shortens its days. Mr. Percival tells us 

 of a horse which lived to see sixty- two years. In 

 1758 a horse died which received a ball in its neck at 

 the battle of Preston in 1715, and was not extracted 

 till after death. And Blaine mentions a gentleman at 

 Dulwich who recorded having three horses which lived 

 to the respective ages of thirty-five, thirty-seven, and 

 thirty-nine years. 



FEEDING AND WATERING. 



As the food of horses is well known to act consider • 

 ably towards maintaining the health in some cases, an(/ 

 in others tending to produce ill-condition and sickness 

 in the animal, it necessarily becomes imperative to say 

 something on so important a subject. 



Food may consist of two kinds, namely, natural, or 

 such as animals are found to subsist on in a state of 

 unrestrained freedom, and artificial, or such as man 

 has found most essential to produce health, strength, 

 and condition, when domesticated and rendered sub- 

 servient to his use. The subject will be better dis- 



