404 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



CHAPTER VI. 



DENTITION OP HORSES. 



By the kind permission of Prof. Brown of 

 London, Chief Veterinary Adviser of the Brit- 

 ish Privy Council, I am permitted to republish 

 the following on the "Dentition of Horses," 

 the same being a part of a series of articles 

 originally contributed by him for the "Journal 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society of Great 

 Britain": 



At birth the foal has the two central temporary incisors 

 somewhat laterally placed, in consequence of the jaw not 

 being wide enough to accommodate them both in front. The 

 teeth are nearly covered with the gum, and only a small 

 portion of the upper anterior edge is to be seen free from the 

 membrane. In some cases the extreme corners of the lat- 

 eral incisors are to be detected in outline under, the gum. 

 The three temporary molars are usually entirely covered 

 with gum at the time of birth. This state of the mouth is 

 shown in Fig. 1, which was taken on the morning of its 

 birth from a cart colt foaled at the Royal Agricultural Col- 

 lege Farm. 



By the end of the second week after birth the central in- 

 cisors will be fairly in the mouth, and in six or eight weeks 

 the lateral teeth and also the temporary molars are well up. 

 In Fig. 2 the state of the incisor teeth at two months old is 

 shown. The central incisors at this age have the surfaces 

 very slightly worn, and the cavity or infundibulum is not 



