THE HORSE 46 



a* standard, one can make allowances for either 

 larger or smaller, and easily arrive at just con- 

 clusions. 



The incisors being our main reliance, our re- 

 marks must be understood to refer chiefly to them. 

 The length of the tooth of a horse of medium size 

 is three inches, or thirty-six lines. After the 

 changed tooth has arrived at its proper length, it 

 shoots up a line regularly every year, and if the 

 teeth stand right, the grinder is worn off a line 

 every year. It is also, as has been said, worn off 

 in both width and breadth, so that the grinder be- 

 comes, from year to year, shorter and smaller, as 

 shown by the chart. 



If, however, the teeth stand too far forward 

 (irregular teeth) they do not wear down in the 

 same proportion as they shoot upward, and they 

 become very long. The age in this case can be 

 ascertained with ease and exactness by observing 

 with care the following points : At the age of five 

 years, the corner teeth of the lower jaw have 

 grown up ^ve lines above the gum ; each middle 

 tooth, seven lines ; and each upper, nine. At 

 eight years, and older, each corner tooth of the 

 same horse projects only four, the middle, six, and 

 the nippers, eight lines above the gums. This is 



