HAN^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 15 



central pair of nippers is markedly triangular in shape; the 

 marks in the center are nearly obliterated, the teeth are longer 

 and project forward more than in the case of younger horses. 

 At eleven years of age all the teeth become more triangular in 

 form, they increase in length, project forward, and the tusks 

 are greatly rounded at the points. These characteristics have 

 increased at twelve years of age, and the front corner nippers 

 are worn away even with the middle pair — the w^ear being less on 

 the back portion. From thirteen to nineteen years of age the 

 same general characteristics appear, the shape of the teeth be- 

 comes more triangular, the nippers are longer and project forward 

 in an increased degree, and the tushes are round at the points. 



If a horse's moiitli ]>iesents exactly the characters which indicate a 

 certain number of years of growtli, we say tliat it " is — years ; " if 

 it has not quite Jittained tlie age, it is described as "rising — 

 years;" if it has passed tlie period and has not yet attained tlie 

 marlcings of another year, it is counted as"— years off."— Age of 

 tlie Domestic Animals, Rush S. Huidlioper, M. D. 



By the teeth, only, in my judgment, can the age be known certainly f 

 and by them, certainly, only until the ninth year.— Horse and Horse- 

 manship ot the United States, Henry William Herbert. 



Ag-e of the Horse. Buffon says that the duration of 

 the life of the horse is, as in all other species of domestic 

 animals, proportionate to the duration of their period of 

 growth or increase. The period of increase of the horse con- 

 tinues throughout four years, and he can live six or seven 

 times as long ; that is to say twenty-five or thirty years. The 

 life of mares is ordinarily longer than that of horses. At 

 ten years of age, if a horse is sound and free from objection- 

 able habits, he is a safer purchase than one five years of age. 

 The older horse is less liable to sudden or acute attacks of dis- 

 ease such as colic, etc., and if properly cared for, is good for 

 many years of reasonable service. 



Albertus Magnus mentions that in his time, 1193-1280, there was an 

 instance of a charger proving serviceable at the advanced age of 

 sixty ; and Augustus Nephus says there was a horse in the stable of 

 Fei-dinand the First, 1503-1564, that had attained the extraordinary 

 age of seventy years. Tliis is the oldest horse which I have ever 

 heard of, and, in all i:>robability, the only one on record whicli had 

 reached that age.— Authentic Anecdotes and Sketches of Horses, 

 Capt. Thomas Brown, London, 1830. 



Ag-e of Trotters. Records show that the trotter and 

 pacer are longer on the turf than the thoroughbred race-horse. 

 Forty-one horses have trotted in 2:30 or better at fifteen years 

 of age ; eleven at sixteen years of age ; sixteen at seventeen 

 years of age ; seven at eighteen years of age ; one at nineteen 

 years of age, and one at twenty-one years of age. At 

 seventeen years of age Goldsmith Maid trotted a mile in 2:14. 



Age, Rule of. The National, American and Racing 

 rules provide that the age of a horse shall be reckoned from 

 the first day of January of the year of foaling. 



