CHAPTER XX. 



HOW TO TELL THE AGE. 



Fig. 308.— One week 

 old. 



It is sometimes very important to be able to determine the 

 age of a horse ; and as this is indicated most surely by the teeth, 

 I have had made, imder my special supervision, a large proportion 

 of the illustrations here given, which will be found the fullest and 

 most complete published in this country. I en- 

 countered very serious difficulties in obtaining 

 these illustrations, as I found it next to impos- 

 sible to give the artist an idea of the changes 

 occurring in the teeth and form of the jaw with 

 age, but they are as accurate as I could secure. 

 I have tried also to make the description so sim- 

 ple as to enable any ordinary person to determine 

 the affe of horses with considerable accuracv. or 

 so nearly as to prevent being seriously imposed 

 upon. In doing this, 1 have not hesitated to ap- 

 propriate the language of others when adapted to my purpose. 



At first the jaw is small, and to accom- 

 modate the position, temporary, or what is 

 termed milk-teeth, are grown ; these are 

 succeeded by permanent teeth, as the jaws 

 become larger and stronger. As the front 

 teeth or nippers only are usually studied to 

 note the changes which determine the age of 

 a horse up to eight years, I will try to give 

 such an explanation of them as will serve to 

 aid the general reader in catching the points 

 «f these changes most clearly. 



When the colt is one week old, the two 

 central nippers are grown about as here represented. In from 



(559) 



Fig. 309.— Six weeks. 



