THE HORSE. 15 



edges, until smoothed by old age and use. The 

 tushes are detached from the back teeth; the first, 

 or foaVs teeth, are tangible in a few months, twelve 

 in number, above and below ; they are remarkably 

 white and small, not unlike the human fore teeth ; 

 and when mixed in the colt's mouth with those which 

 succeed, size renders them plainly distinguishable. 

 In some, the foal's teeth remain several months after 

 the appearance of the adult or horse's teeth. Gene- 

 rally the four middlemost foal's teeth, two above and 

 two below, are cast at between two and three years 

 of age, and their successors being complete, the colt 

 or filly is deemed three years of age. At three years 

 and a half, four additional foal teeth are cast on each 

 side the nippers, gatherers, or middle teeth. The 

 two middle teeth, above and below, full grown, indi- 

 cate the age of four years ; the tushes appearing- 

 n early at the same time, occasionally rather earlier 

 or later, they are then small, curved, and their summits 

 encircled by a sharp edge, which becomes blunted 

 in age ; the inside of the tusk is somewhat grooved, 

 hollow, and rather flat. The horsedealins; fraud of 

 extracting the foal's teeth, in order to cause a pre- 

 mature appearance of the adult, and to pass the horse 

 for a four year old, may be detected by the absence 

 of the tushes, which should appear at that period. 



On the approach to, and at the age of five years, 

 when the horse has nearly attained the prime of life, 

 his corner teeth begin to appear ; at first, level with 

 the gums and filled with flesh in their centre; the 

 tushes also, increased in size, though not yet large, 

 are somewhat rough and sharp. The corner teeth 



