a6 



and without them, on tlie appearance of the two 

 corner ones, the filiy becomes a mare. Each of 

 these permanent set of nippers, or horse teeth, has a 

 mark or cavity in its upper surface, and the appear- 

 ance or absence of which cavity forms the prmcipal 

 mode of judging of the age. At six years the cavi- 

 ties of the two front nippers of the lower jaw are 

 filled up. At seven, those of the two next of the 

 same jaw fill up; and from this to eight the corner 

 ones fill up likewise, when the horse is said to have 

 lost his mark, and to be aged. The upper teeth may, 

 however, after this period, furnish some criterion to 

 judge by, though perhaps not altogether with equal 

 precision : for at the same time that the cavities of 

 all the lower nippers are obliterated, tliose only of 

 the two front upper ones are effaced ; so that at eight 

 years the two front upper nippers lose their mark; 

 at ten, those of the two next; and at twelve, those of 

 the two corners. 



Various tricks are practised by breeders and country 

 dealers to make horses appear either older or younger, 

 as best suit their purposes of sale. Horses are not 

 considered as eligible for the London market at less 

 than five years old : it is common, therefore, at four 

 years old, to beat out the corner teeth; by this 

 means the horse teeth underneath sooner spring up, 

 and thus make the animal appear older than he is : but 

 a nice inspection will readily detect the imposition ; 

 for the cavity in a five year old horse should appear 

 considerably w orn out or filled up ; that is, the mark 

 should be much less distinct than in the others. 



The deception is also rendered conspicuous when 

 this is the case, by the animal not being sufficiently 



