AGE OF THE HORSE. 59 



the edges of the nipper and middle teeth and their marks or cups 

 are worn down, and the inner edge of the corner tooth is just 

 commencing to wear. 



No. 5. 



InsideMew^of a two-year-old, when the cups are worn off of the nipper and 

 middle, a small cup remaining in the corner teeth. 



At the age of two years and a half the colt teeth commence to 

 drop out and horse teeth take their place ; this we call shedding 

 thejteeth. 



There is a difference between the teeth naturally shedding and 

 being knocked or pulled out. 



Sometimes they are pulled or knocked out for the purpose of 

 representing the animal to be older than he really is. 



During the late war between the North and South there were 

 a great many mules sold to the government that had their nippers 

 pulled out, sometimes at the age of eighteen months, to make 

 them appear as being two years and a half old, this age being the 

 youngest at which the government would receive them. And 

 thousands passed into the Government employ for mules that 

 were " coming three years," when really they were only from a 

 a year to eighteen months old. 



While in Chicago I frequently visited the sale-stables. On one 

 occasion I was an eye-witness to this circumstance : 



A gentleman, wishing to purchase a horse, inquired the age of 

 a fine large colt some sixteen hands high. The dealer informed 



