112 AGE OF A HORSE. 



But all agree that as the teeth come in, and later, as they 

 weat down, definite appearances are presented, furnishing 

 data that is fairly reliable for denoting the age of horses 

 between birth and twelve years old, and less distinct proof 

 for every added year. The accompanying jingles will prove 

 a fair guide if carefully read and followed. The following, 

 gleaned from the best authorities, is plainer, however, and 

 carries the age table beyond the usual limit set, twelve years: 

 Soon after birth two central nippers show. When a year 

 old the colt has cut his twelve front teeth and sixteen 

 grinders. When two years old, the mark on the grinding 

 surface of the nippers (the two central teeth in the set of 

 six), is much worn out and is hardly perceptible ; it is not so 

 faint in the middle teeth (teeth next the nippers), and the 

 corner teeth are flat and show the mark clearly. During 

 the third year the second set of teeth begins to show. Be- 

 tween three and three and one-half years the "baby" teeth 

 or first nippers fall out and are replaced by permanent ones, 

 giving the basis for after judgment as to the animal's age. 

 The teeth are continually worn away, the length is decreas- 

 ing, sometimes regularly and sometimes not, so that in old 

 age the tooth once two and one-half to three inches long is 

 scarcely half an inch long, unless the teeth slant forward too 

 much, when they fail to get the wear which should occur, 

 and they become very long. At four years the nippers be- 

 gin to lose their sharp edge and have grown noticeably, the 

 adjoining or "middle " teeth have also grown, but not fully, 

 and are still sharp, with the deep mark plain. The corner 

 teeth remain until the age is four and one-half years. After 

 five years the age is learned by the shape and appearance of 

 the teeth. 



Now, the lower jaw shows nippers worn so the marking in 

 the center is almost obliterated, middle teeth M-ith the outer 



