Hints on Buyivg ana Selling Homes. 



TEETH as signs of age. A foal of 6 months old has 6 grinders 

 in each jaw, 3 in each side, and also 6 nippers, or front teeth, with 

 a cavity in each. At 1 year old the cavities in the front teeth 

 begin to decrease, and he has 4 grinders on each side-^one of the 

 permanent and the remainder of the milk set. At 2 years old, 

 he looses the first milk grinders above and below, and the front 

 teeth have their cavities filled np just as horses of 8 years old. At 

 3 years old or 2^, he casts his two front nippers, and in a short 

 time after the 2 next fall. At 4 years old the grinders are 6 on 

 each side (permanent set), and about 4^ his nippers are permanent 

 by the replacing of the remaining 2 corner teeth, which have 

 dropped ; the tushes then appear, and he is no longer a colt. At 

 5 years old, a horse has his tushes, and there is a black coloured 

 cavity in the centre of all his lower nippers. The corner ones 

 are thinner. At 6 years old, this black cavity is obliterated in 

 the 2 front lower nippers. At 7 the cavities of the next 2 are 

 filled up and the tushes blunted : at 8, that of the 2 corner 

 teeth. The horse is now said to be aged. The cavities of the 

 upper jaw are not obliterated till the horse is about 10 years 

 old, after which time the tushes become round, and the nippers 

 project and change their surface. [Youat.) 



TO EXAMINE EYES. Place the horse in stable facing the 

 entrance, and near the doorway. Put your face close to his 

 cheek, under and behind the eye. Small faint whitish lines 

 crossing the cornea, or spread over any part of it, indicate 

 previous inflammation. Also a narrow ring or circle of 

 haziness shows the same, but of older date. 



Note the size of both pupils carefully before horse leaves 

 stable ; and as he comes out, observe whether both contract, 

 and equally so, with the increase of light. If they do not, the 

 eyesight is defective. 



' GOOD LEGS are essential. When standing still, the fore-legs 

 should be quite perpendicular. An upright shoulder is bad for 

 a riding horse, as it makes his action rough and limits his stride, 

 but does not matter for draught. A long and muscular fore-arm 

 denotes good action. The knees viewed from in front should be 

 broader than the leg above and below, and they should taper off 

 backwards. The bones beneath the knee should be broad and 

 flat. Observe if shoes are unduly worn at the toe, as, if they be, 

 it is a sign he does not step freely, and is liable to stumble. 



GOOD FEET. The proper slope of the foot is 45 to 50 degrees. 

 If more oblique, it signifies flat sole or pumiced foot. If too 

 upright, it leads to contraction and thrush ; moreover, the pas- 

 tern, also being too perpendicular, causes unpleasant jolting 

 pace." The rings of horn should be regular ; if irregular and 



