92 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HORSE. 



cheek. They are then sometimes improperly called wolf^a 

 teeth, and shonld be extracted. 



The teeth which first appeared are first renewed, and there- 

 fore the front or first grinders are changed at the age of two 

 years. During the period between the falling out of the central 

 milk teeth, and the coming up of the permanent ones, the colt, 

 having a broken mouth, may find some difficulty in grazing. If 



he should fall away consider- 

 ^-\ ably in condition, he should 

 be fed with mashes and corn, 

 or cut feed. The cut annexed 

 represents a three-year-old 

 mouth. 



The central teeth are 

 larger than the others, with 

 two grooves in the entire 

 convex surface, and the mark 

 is long, narrow, deep, and 

 black. Not having yet attained their full growth, they are 

 lower than the others. The mark in the next two nippers is 

 nearly worn out, and it is wearing away in the corner nippers. 

 Is it possible to give this mouth to an early two-year-old? 

 The ages of all horses used to be reckoned from the first of 

 May; but some are foaled even as early as January, and being 

 actually four months over the two years, if they have been well 

 nursed and fed, and are strong and large, they may, with the 

 inexperienced, have an additional year put upon them. The 

 central nippers are punched or drawn out, and the others appear 

 three or four months earlier than they otherwise would. In the 

 natural process they would only rise by long pressing upon the 



THREE YEARS. 



