170 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



such connection between these teeth and the eyes as to war- 

 rant the assumption of some modern horse doctors, that the 

 former are the cause of serious irritation to the horse in re- 

 spect to his eye-sight. 



Sometimes, however, a false tooth is found growing up be- 

 side the upper jaw teeth — in part between the first and second 

 teeth, but lapping over both of them — which it would be 

 difficult to convince most Kentucky and Tennessee horse- 

 breeders is not in some manner concerned in producing 

 weak or diseased eyes. While their opinion is entirely er- 

 roneous, it is true that this tooth is so much in the way 

 that it ought to be removed. This may be effected by the 

 means just named, or with a large pair of forceps, a pair of 

 pincers, or a pair of blacksmith's tongs. 



There is a time in the life of the colt, during teething, 

 when the soreness of the gums, from cutting teeth, may act 

 as an exciting cause of fever in the head, and may thus have 

 something to do with the eyes; but many other complaints 

 to which the horse is subject are still more likely to pro- 

 duce the same effects. Big head, poll evil, glanders, dis- 

 temper, and other disorders, are all accompanied by fever 

 about the head; yet, fatal as they often prove, it is rarely 

 that any one charges upon them the horse's weak or dis- 

 eased eyes. 



All these theories which assume to find the cause of blind- 

 ness or imperfect vision in certain conditions of the teeth, 

 must be regarded as thoroughly exploded. They do not 

 stand the test of close observation, while reason is most de- 

 cidedly opposed to them. The horse with the best eyes may 

 lose them by disease ; and many an animal with a suspicious 

 looking eye, we have known to fall asleep in death, at a good 

 old age, and both whose "naturally weak eyes" did their 

 duty perfectly to the very last. Our experience has taught us 

 this : Whenever you find a horse with what is called natu- 

 rally weak eyes, you may set it down as an almost positive 

 certainty that some unfeeling person has owned or used him, 

 At some period or other, and has maltreated or abused him 



