CHAP. VI. 



HORSE'S AGE AS DETERMINED BY TEETH. 



441 



tushes appear, the purchaser may be certain that the trick has been 

 played. 



When a horse is coming six years old, the mark is disappearing from 

 the two lower central front, or incisor teeth, or there remains only an 

 inconsiderable black spot. Between six and seven the mark disappears 

 from the two middle teeth ; and between seven and eight the corner 

 teeth follow the same course. After this it is difficult to determine 

 with certainty the age of a horse, and he is technically said no longer 

 to have the mark in his mouth. In this case recourse must be had to 

 the tushes. At four and a half years old they are rounded and promi- 

 nent in front, grooved on either side, and concave on the inside surface, 

 with sharp edges. At five years old the tush has increased the 

 grooves are disappearing the outer surface is more regularly convex, 

 and the inner surface remains concave. At six years old the tush has 

 attained its full growth, and still remains convex without and concave 

 within. At seven the tush is rounded at the point and edges still 

 prominent without, and beginning to be a little so within. At eight 

 the tush is still blunter and rounder every way. The degree of blunt- 

 ness and roundness of the tush will continue to increase ever} 7 year, 

 and some rude guess may be formed of the age of the horse, although 

 nothing certain can be determined. Horses that are kept in the stable 

 always have the mark in the incisor teeth worn out sooner than those 

 at grass, while it is difficult to guess at the age of a crib-biter. 

 Generally speaking, the mark is worn away from the central incisor 

 teeth of the upper jaw at nine years old, from the next pair at ten, and 

 from all of them at eleven. The lower front teeth after this project 

 forward, and at length assume almost a horizontal position, and the 

 upper ones project over the lower ones, wearing down the outer edge, 

 and making that, contrary to what takes place in youth, the lower 

 of the two. 



The subjoined table may be of some service as a guide to the deter- 

 mination of the age of a horse by an inspection of the teeth : 



