258 



THE HORSE 



they are shallow, which is evidence that the teeth have 

 been in wear two j^ears, and that in another year the 

 cups will have nearly or quite disappeared. (Fig. 71.) 

 It will be noticed that, from the time when the teeth 

 in the lower jaw are well up and in wear to the time 

 the cups have virtually disappeared in the lower jaw, 

 is three years. It is well to keep this in mind. The 

 teeth in the upper jaw retain their cups for a longer 

 period. 



A side view of a seven-year-old mouth shows one 

 marked characteristic. (Fig. 72.) The lower corner 



teeth seldom extend 

 as far backward as the 

 upper ones do. Qnly 

 in very rare cases do 

 all of the four corner 

 teeth meet at the 

 corners accurately; in 

 which case the pos- 

 terior corners of the 

 upper incisors are not 

 worn down level with 

 the rest of the teeth. 

 1 te result is, the face of the tooth in wear recedes, 

 while that part of the tooth not in wear projects down- 

 ward, forming more or less of a "notch." Sometimes 

 no distinct notch is apparent. However, by close inspec- 

 tion, it can be seen that the face of the upper corner 

 tooth, where it meets the lower one, is not straight, 

 as it was when the horse was six years of age, but 

 slightly concave. If the teeth should chance to meet 



Fia. 72. Side view of the nippers of a 

 seven-year-old horse. 



