68 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



At the age of which we are now speaking, the tushes are 

 almost peculiar to the horse, and castration does not 

 appear to prevent or retard their development. All mares, 

 however, have the beginnings of them in the chambers of 

 the jaw, and they appear externally in most old mares. 

 Their use is not evident — perha})s in the wild state of the 

 animal they are weapons of offence, so that he can more 

 firmly seize, and more deeply wound his enemy. 



The breeder often attempts to hasten the appearance 

 of the tush, and cuts deepl}^ through the gum to remove 

 the opposition which that would afford. To a little extent 

 he succeeds. He may possibly gain a few weeks, but 

 cannot gain more ; for the resistance of the gum is not 

 like that of a solid and firmly fixed tooth, and is much 

 more easily overcome by the regular process of nature. 

 After all, there is much uncertainty as to the appearance 

 of the tush, and it may vary from the fourth year to four 

 years and six months. It belongs, in the upper jaw, both 

 to the inferior and superior maxillary bones ; for, while its 

 fang is deeply embedded in the inferior maxillary, the 

 tooth penetrates the process of the superior maxillary at 

 the union of those bones. 



At four years and a half, or between that and five, the 

 last important change takes place in the mouth of the 

 horse. The corner nippers are shed, and the permanent 

 ones begin to appear ; the central nippers are considerably 

 worn, and the next pair are beginning to show marks of 

 wear. The tush has now protruded, and is generally a 

 full half inch in height ; outside it is rounded, with a groove 

 on each side (see drawing), and within it is hollowed. 

 From the period of the rising of the corner nipper, the 

 animal changes its name. The colt is called a horse, the 

 filly a mare, thenceforward. 



Five Years Old. — At five years old the horse's mouth is 

 all but perfect. The whole of the incisors are there ; the 

 edges of all the teeth meet fairly, and the whole apparatus 

 looks more powerful and larger than in the fourth year. 

 The tables of them all are, however, not yet formed, the 

 two outermost displaying the bean perfect. The tush 

 shows a mark of wear, the grooves already spoken of are 

 disappearing. The outer edge is bulging, but the inside 

 hollowed out and sharp. The sixth molar tooth is quite 

 up, and the third griader is wanting. This circumstance. 



