AGE OF THE HORSE AS SHOWN BY THE TEETH 77 



manent molars have made their appearance, 

 generally coming up about two years and nine 

 months, the temporary molars having by that 

 time disappeared, their fangs first becoming 

 absorbed, and their crowns shelling off from 

 those of the oncoming permanent molars. There- 

 fore, at three years old the horse has two central 

 permanent incisors in both the upper and lower 

 jaws, and four permanent molars on each side 

 of either jaw, these being the first and second 

 molars, always counting from the front of the 

 mouth, and the fourth and fifth molar, the 

 fourth, it being remembered, being up at one 

 year and the fifth at two years. 



The wolf-teeth are usually shed at about two 

 years and nine months. 



The terms ' rising ' or ' coming,' when placed 

 before the number of years the horse has been 

 born, as ' coming ' or ' rising three ' or ' rising 

 four,' means that the animal is not three or four 

 years old yet, but will be in a couple of months 

 or so. And the term ^ off ' placed after the 

 number of years, as Hhree off,' for instance, 



10 



