126 TEN TO TWELVE YEARS OLD 



all are so. At nineteen the angles begin to wear off, 

 and the central teeth are again oval, but in a reversed 

 direction, viz., from outwards to inwards ; and at 

 twenty-one they all wear this form. 



As a rule, the marks in hunters wear out sooner than 

 is the case with farm-horses, by reason of their getting 

 more hard food. The age of a horse being calculated 

 from the ist of May, it is difficult at times to tell a late 

 foal or an early one. 



At nine and ten years of age, the bars of the mouth 

 also become less prominent, and their regular diminu- 

 tion will evidence advancing age. 



At eleven and twelve the lower nippers change their 

 original upright direction, and project forward or hori- 

 zontally, and become yellow and covered with tartar. 

 They are yellow because, although the teeth must 

 grow to supply the wear and tear to which they are 

 subjected, the enamel which covered their surface 

 cannot be replaced ; and that which wears this colour 

 in old age is the part which in youth was in the socket, 

 and therefore destitute of enamel. The upper nippers 

 also become arched, and project over the lower ones, 

 wearing down their outer edges, and by degrees 

 causing that portion which at first was considerably 

 the higher to become the lower. 



Old age is also easily discernible by the depth of 

 the hollow over the eyes, the gray hairs over the eyes 

 and about the muzzle, a hanging down of the lips, 

 sharpness of the withers, hollowing of the back, 

 lengthened appearance of the quarters, and disappear- 

 ance of spavins, windgalls, splints, etc. 



The oldest horse which I remember died at the age 

 of thirty-one, at Ratoath Manor, County Meath — a 



