AGE OF THE HORSE. 



43 



THE AGE OF THE HOESE, 



Determined by the appearance of the teeth. 



Ml 



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. Althousrh it may be impossible 

 to give any rules which wilTbe found to be exactly correct in every case, yet the following 

 classification is generally correct; but exceptions will occur, as, for instance, a noble 

 horse may be taken for younger than he really is, because the strong structure of all the 

 bones makes the teeth also stronger than those of a horse of the same age, of an inferior 

 breed. 



Eight to fourteen days after birth, the first middle nippers of the set of milk teeth are 

 cut (Fig. 1); four to sfx weeks afterwards, the pair next to them (Fig. 2); and finally, 

 after sis or eight months, the last (Fig. 3). 



All these milk teeth have a well-defined body and neck, and a slender fang, and on 

 their front surfaces grooves or furrows, which disappear from the middle 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, the nippers become loose and fall out; in their places appear two 

 permanent teeth, with deep, black cavities, and full, sharp edges (Fig. 4). 



At the age of three, the next pair (Fiir. 5) fall out. 



At lour years old, the corner teeth fall out (Fig. 6). 



At five years old, the horse has his permanent set of teeth. 



The teeth grow in length as the horse advances in years, but at the same time, his teeth 

 are worn away, by use, about one-twelfth of an inch every year; so that the black cav- 

 ities of the centre nippers below disappear in the sixth year (Fig. 7); those of the next 

 pair, in the seventh year (Fig. 8); and those of the corner teeth, in the eighth year (Fig. 

 9). Also the outer corner teeth of upper and lower jaw just meet at eight years of age. 



At nine years old, cups leave the two centre nippers al)ove, and each of the two upper 

 corner teeth has a little sharp protrusion at the extreme outer corners (Fig. 10). 



At the age often, the cups disappear from the adjoining teeth. 



At the age of eleven, the cups disappear from the corner teeth above, 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, finally, with the twentieth year, 

 all regularity. There is nothing remaining in the teeth that can afterwards clearly 

 «how the age of the horse, or justify the most experienced examiner in giving a positive 

 opinion. 



The tushes, or canine teeth, conical in shape, with a sharp point, and curved, are cut 

 between the third and fourth year; their points become more and more rounded, until 

 the ninth year, nnd after that, more and more dull in the course of years, and lose, final- 

 ly, all regular shape. Mares have, frequently, no tusks, or only very faintly indicated. 



