118 



THE STOCK OWNER S ADVISER. 



may become quite proficient. It requires a great deal of prac- 

 tice, and to succeed in it hundreds of mouths should be carefully 

 examined and the kind of food carefully noted. The teeth of 

 horses of the same age vary considerably in shape, size, etc. We 

 have met with several that at the age of twelve or fifteen had 

 the marks of only eight or nine, and quite a number whose cor- 

 ner teeth never had any hook. Where horses graze in sandy 

 districts, the hooks on the corner teeth are well ground off. 



The appearance of the teeth will be considerably modified by 

 the kind of food, the soil and climate, and like circum ■stances. 



Fig. 19 — Showing hook in upper 

 corner incisor which makes 

 its appearance at eight years 

 of age. It may be observed 

 coming in at seven. 



Fig. 20 — Upper Incisors of a Nine Year 



Old Horse. 

 1, 1. Central incisors with cups entirely 



worn away. 2, 2. Laterals disappearing. 



,?, S. Corner still larger. 



Where horses graze in sandy districts, the marks of age are 

 brought on prematurely; an eight-year-old may be easily mis- 

 taken for one of twelve years. Some stabled horses chew the 

 brick walls of their stables and w^ear the teeth abnormally. Some 

 are fed on hard canes growing in river and creek bottoms, which 

 break their nippers. The crib-biter breaks his teeth off in such 

 a manner that no reliable marks of age remain. In order to 

 become proficient in the study of the horse's age, it is necessary, 

 therefore, to examine, we might say, thousands of cases. There 

 are some peculiarities in the teeth of certain breeds of horses. 

 The teeth of the pony are different in several respects from the 



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