36 



n OllUK-O \Y nek's G U 1 1) E . 



THE AGE OF THE HORSE, 



DETEKMINED UY THE APPEAKANCE OF THE TEETH. 



lExpIanatio7is of Plate III.'\ 



The safest way of determining the 

 age of a horse is by the appearance 

 of the teeth, which undergo certain 

 changes in the course of years. Pes- 

 sina, a German veterinary surgeon of 

 renown, who made this a special study, 

 came to the classification given below. 

 Although generally accepted, even here 

 exceptions will occur, as for instance : 

 a noble horse might be taken for 

 younger than he is, because the strong- 

 er structure of all the bones makes the 

 teeth also stronger than those of a horse 

 of an inferior breed, of the same age. 

 Frequently, three years old colts are 

 brought to market with the niiJi)ers 

 broken out, and sold for four years old. 



The classification of Pessina is as 

 follows : At birth, the teeth have not 

 appeared ; eight to fourteen days there- 

 after, the first middle nipijers of the 

 set of milk-teeth are cut (Fig. 1) ; 

 four to six weeks afterwards, the pair 

 next to them (Fig. 2) ; and finally, after 

 sLx or eight months, the last (Fig. 3). 



All these milk-teeth liave a well- 

 defined body, neck, and slender fang, 

 and on their front surfaces grooves or 

 furrows, which disappear from the mid- 

 dle nippers at the end of one year ; 

 from the next pair in two years ; and 

 from the incisive teeth (cutters) in 

 three years. 



At the age of two years and a half, 

 the nijipcrs become loose and fall out ; 

 in their places appear two permanent 

 teeth, with deep, black cavities, and full, 

 sharp edges (Fig. 4) ; after one year, 

 the next pair (Fig. 5) ; and after an- 



other year, the corner teeth (Fig. G) ; 

 so that the horse has liis permanent 

 set of teeth when about five years 

 old. ^ 



As the horse becomes older, his teeth 

 are worn away, by use, about one- 

 twelfth of an inch every year ; so, that 

 the black cavities of tlie nijip^i-s dis- 

 appear in the sixth year (Fig. 7) ; uhose 

 of the next pair (middle teeth), in the 

 seventh year (Fig. 8) ; and those of 

 the corner teeth, in the eighth year 

 (Fig. 9). In the ninth year, each of 

 the two upper corner tectli has a little 

 sharp protrusion at the extreme inner 

 corners, the cavities have completely 

 disai)peared (Fig. 10), and are only 

 indicated by brownish spots, the oval 

 form becomes broader, and changes, 

 from the twelfth to the sixteenth year, 

 more and more into a triangular form, 

 and the teeth lose, finallj-^, with the 

 twentieth year, all regularity. There 

 is nothing remaining in the teeth that 

 can, afterwards, clearly show the age of 

 the horse, or justify the most expe- 

 rienced examiner in giving a positive 

 opinion. 



The tushes or canine teeth, conical 

 in shape, with a sharp point, and curved, 

 are cut between the tliird and fourth 

 year; their points become more and 

 more rounded, until the ninth year, 

 and after that, more and more dull in 

 the course of years, and lose, finally, 

 all regular shape. Mares have, fre- 

 quently, no tushes, or only very faintly 

 indicated. 



