226 THE PROCESS OF TEETHING. 



growth of the tush — the smalhiess of the second grhider — the how fore- 

 hand — the legginess of the colt, and the thickness and httle depth of the 

 mouth, will, to the man of common experience among horses, at once 

 detect the cheat. 



The tushes (see below a, a) are four in number, two in each jaw, 

 situated between the nippers and the grindei-s — much nearer to the former 

 than the latter, and nearer in the lower jaw than in the upper, but this 

 distance increasing in both jaws with the age of the animal. In shape it 

 somewhat resembles a cone ; it protrudes about an inch from the gum, 

 and has its extremity sharp-pointed and curved. At the age now under 

 consideration, the tushes are almost peculiar to the horse, and castration 

 does not appear to prevent or retard their development. All mares, how- 

 ever, have the germs of them in the chambers of the jaw, and they appear 

 externally in the majority of old mares. Their use is not evident. Per- 

 haps, in the wild state of the animal, they are weapons of offence, and 

 he is enabled by them more firmly to seize, and more deeply wound his 

 enemy. 



The breeder often attempts to hasten the appearance of the tush, and he 

 cuts deeply through the gum to remove the opposition which that would 

 afford. To a little extent he succeeds. He may possibly gain a few weeks, 

 but not more. After all, there is much uncertainty as to the appearance 

 of the tush, and it may vary from the fourth year to four years and six 

 months. It belongs, in the upper jaw, both to the inferior and superior 

 maxillary bones ; for, while its fang is deeply imbedded in the inferior 

 maxillary, the tooth penetrates the process of the superior maxillary at 

 the union of those bones. 



At four years and a half, or between that and five, the last important 

 change takes place in the mouth of the horse. The corner nippers are 

 shed, and the permanent ones begin to appear. The central nippers are 

 considerably worn, and the next pair are commencing to show marks of 

 usage. The tush has now protruded, and is generally a full half-inch in 

 height ; externally it has a rounded prominence, with a groove on either 

 side, and it is evidently hollowed within. The reader needs not to be told 

 that after the rising of the corner nipper the animal changes its name — 

 the colt becomes a horse, and the filly a mare. 



At five years the horse's mouth is almost perfect. The corner nippers 

 are quite up, with the long deep mark irregular on the inside ; and the 

 other nippers bearing evident tokens of increasing wearing. The tush is 

 much grown — the grooves have almost or quite disappeared, and the outer 



surface is regularly convex. It is still 

 as concave within, and with the edge 

 nearly as sharp, as it was six months 

 before. The sixth molar is quite up, 

 and the third molar is wanting. This 

 last circumstance, if the general appeax- 

 ance of the animal, and particulai'ly his 

 forehead and the wearing of the centre 

 nippers, and the growth and shape of 

 the tushes, are likewise carefully- 

 attended to, will prevent deception, if 

 a late four-years-old is attempted to be 

 substituted for a five. The nippers may- 

 be brought up a few months before their 

 tune, and the tushes a few weeks, but the grinder is with difficulty dis- 

 placed. The three last grinders and the tushes are never shed. 



At six years the mark on the central nippers is worn out. There will 



