86 THE HORSE 



as the temporary ones made their appearance, viz. the 

 centrals, the laterals and the comers. 



Shortly after two years — say, two years " ofi," the 

 central pair of incisors are replaced, therefore, the 

 presence of a pair of permanent central incisors indicates 

 that the animal is between two and three years old. 

 They are half-way up about two years and a half, and their 

 anterior edges are in wear by the time the colt is three 

 years old. 



At three years " off " the laterals show signs of being 

 replaced, and about this time, or within three months, i.e. 

 from three years and three months to three years and six 

 months, these teeth are in the mouth and grow in exactly 

 the same manner as the centrals, hence fully developed 

 laterals indicate that the animal 'has reached its fourth 

 birthday, or thereabout. In other words, that it is a 

 " four-year-old." 



The comer teeth are replaced soon after four years, at 

 four " off," and when fully developed indicate a "five- 

 year-old " mouth. At four years and a half they are just 

 about half-way up, but the anterior edges of the teeth do 

 not come into wear until the animal is five years old. 



At five years the mouth has a very neat appearance, 

 the gums being very circular, whilst the centrals and the 

 laterals have their tables well in wear, and stand out in 

 marked contrast to the recently developed comer teeth. 

 A critical inspection of the tables will show these differ- 

 ences in detail. There should be no difficulty in recognis- 

 ing a five-year-old mouth at a glance. It is an important 

 matter for the amateur to be able to do this, because the 

 writer has frequently seen horses sold as five-year-olds 

 when really only four. 



The presence of the lateral incisors is the best positive 

 evidence one can have (apart from proof of age by date of 

 birth) that the colt has passed its fourth birthday. No 

 further changes take place in the incisors excepting those 

 upon their wearing surfaces or tables, barring those 



