HORSES 



311 



the second pair on the upper jaw, but are still present in 

 the third pair. 



Old Horses. The cups in the teeth usually all disap- 

 pear at about eleven years. After this, 

 the shape and direction of the teeth give 

 some indication of age. Notice the angles 

 at which the teeth meet in Figs. 151, 

 153, 156 and 159. The shapes of the end 

 of the teeth also change. Compare Figs. 

 148, 154, 157, and 158. In very old 

 horses, white hairs usually appear around 

 the nose, eyes and elsewhere. The back- 

 bone is likely to be curved downward, 

 and the animal does 

 not stand squarely on 

 its legs. The age of a 

 horse that is over twelve is usually less 

 important than the condition. The 

 vigor and activity are then of more 

 importance than the years. 



Irregularities in Teeth. Some horses 

 do not wear their teeth as fast as others, 

 so that they may have an irregular 

 mouth. Horses that have dense, hard 

 bones and hoofs sometimes appear 

 younger than they are. 



286. Care of Horses. There is space 

 here to call attention to only a few 

 points that may be of use on the farm. A fundamental 

 principle that is often forgotten when feeding horses is 

 that the horse's stomach is small, -unlike that of a 



FIG. 157. 



Lower nippers at 



eight years 



Fio. 158. 



Lower nippers of an 



old horse 



Fia. 159. 



Side view of nippers of 

 an old horse 



