INDICATIONS OF AGE. 347 



be observed to have dwindled to one-third of their original 

 size. When the horse reaches the age of eight years the table 

 surface of the lower row of incisors is found to be perfectly 

 smooth, presenting no depressions whatever. About this 

 time there may usually be observed a little hook-like pro- 

 jection on each of the upper corner incisors. The animal is 

 shown by the presence of these projections to be at least seven 

 years of age, and perhaps older. On an average the animal 

 reaches an age of nine or ten years before the infundibula3 

 of the central incisors of the upper jaw become completely 

 worn out. At the age of ten or eleven years the mark is 

 found to be absent from the lateral incisors, and at twelve 

 years of age the table surface of the upper row of incisor 

 teeth is found to be worn smooth. At this age the incisors 

 begin to project forward, broaden from before backward, 

 and become narrower from side to side. In the mouth of 

 every young horse we find a ring of enamel around each of 

 the inf undibulae. The practitioner should in every case, when 

 examining a horse's mouth to ascertain his age, be careful 

 to note the presence or absence of this ring of enamel, as 

 some dishonest dealers often with a knife scoop out a hole, 

 so as to present the appearance of an infundibulum, the de- 

 ception being rendered more perfect by the application of 

 a hot iron to the artificial depression, by which means it is 

 given a colour similar to that of the natural depression. 

 But if the ring of enamel is not present we may rest 

 assured that the depression is an artificial one, as a man, 

 however expert or clever he may be, cannot possibly place 

 or produce a ring of enamel around the false infundibulum. 

 Its absence may be received in all cases as proof unques- 

 tionable that the animal is an old one. The same evidence 

 is furnished by the presence of the dental star, which makes 

 its appearance when the animal is about eleven years old- 

 Other signs of age are the presence of tartar upon the 



