224 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



always accompanies the teeth while growing will 

 be considerably worn off ; the mark becomes 

 shorter and wider and more faint, the second pair 

 will be grown but still a little smaller, with the 

 mark very deep, and extending entirely across 

 the teeth. The corner nippers will be somewhat 

 larger than the inside ones, although a little 

 smaller than they were, and with their surface flat, 

 and the ^^mark" nearly obliterated (see Pig. 6). 



The last important change in the mouth of the 

 horse takes place between four and a half and 

 five years. The corner incisors are shed (unless 

 the dealer has knocked them out), and the 

 permanent ones make their appearance, the 

 central ones are considerably worn, and the next 

 pair are beginning to exhibit marks of wear, the 

 tusks are fully half an inch above the gums, with 

 an external rounded prominence, and a groove on 

 each side. The mouth of the horse is nearly 

 perfect at the age of five years. The corner in- 

 cisors are fully developed, and the "mark" on 

 the inside long and irregular (see Fig. 7). 



When the animal has attained its sixth year, 

 the "marks" on the central nippers will have 

 completely worn oflP, leaving a little difference in 

 the colour in the centre of the teeth. At seven 

 years the "marks" in the four centre teeth are. 

 worn out, and the corner ones fast disappearing. 

 At eight years the "marks" are all worn out, 

 leaving us only to guess their age by the angle 

 of the teeth (no dealer ever had a horse above 

 eight years of age, they are like ladies after 

 thirty, they never grow older, unless married). 



