ON AGE A2{D APPEARANCE. 71 



At six years old, the mnrk has disappeared from the 

 nippers, and considerably diminished in the dividers, but 

 the inner ed<;e of the corners is not vet level. 



At seven years old, the mark has disappeared from 

 the nippers and dividers, and the corners are level, though 

 still retaining the mark. 



At eight years old, the mark has disappeared from 

 the corners also, and the horse is said to bo aged. The 

 face of the teeth is becoming more oval, but the enamel, 

 the remains of the funnel; is bliU to bo seen in the centre 

 of the face. 



At nine years old, the nippers become rounder and 

 the dividers oval; the following year the dividers becomo 

 round, and the next year the corners assume their shape; 

 the central enamel gradually diminishes. 



At twelve years old, the central enamel has disap- 

 peared ; sometimes, however, it remains for some years. 

 The marks in the upper teeth by this time have disap- 

 peared, some say at eleven years old, but this is uncertain. 



At fifteen years old, the nippers have become tri- 

 angular, having been gradually assuming this shape for the 

 last two years. The following year the dividers also as- 

 sume this shape. 



At seventeen years old, the lower incisors are all 

 triangular, and the central enamel has disappeared from 

 the upper incisor. After this the face of the teeth lengthen 

 from front to rear, and diminish from side to side. 



There is another method of ascertaining the age of a 

 horse, and we have found it to be invariably correct ; but 

 it requires some practice, so as to bo able to distinguish 

 the wrinkles, as in full and prominent eyes the wrinkles 

 are very slight, especially if the horse be fat ; and in thin, 

 skinny horses, the wrinkles will appear doubled, and it is 



