I X2 



THROUGH STABLE AND SADDLE-ROOM. 



and as simply as I can, to explain to the reader 

 what a horse's mouth really is like. Possibly he 

 has never taken the trouble to look or inquire. It 

 is furnished with teeth, palate, and a tongue, like 

 that of all other quadrupeds. The teeth are divided 

 in both the upper and lower jaws into two dis- 

 tinct and separate sets, as are our own, only 

 that in the horse there is a space between the two 

 sets — the ' gatherers,' or front teeth, and the 

 ' grinders,' or back teeth. As may be inferred, 

 the duty of the former is to bite off and collect 

 the grass upon which, in its natural state, a horse 

 would feed ; that of the latter to grind the food 

 thus collected. The gatherers, or front teeth, are 

 six in number — six in the upper and six in the 

 lower jaw. The grinders are also six in number 

 on each side of each jaw, thus making in all twelve 

 gatherers, or, as we may call them, front teeth, 

 and twenty-four grinders, or back teeth. Between 

 these front and back teeth there is a space of some 

 three inches. In the adult mare this space remains 

 blank. In the horse there is a tusk, or ' tush,' as it 

 is called, an inch above the corner front tooth, on 

 either side of each jaw. What its use is I cannot 

 say, but we may be sure that it is there for some 

 wise purpose. At times, and by no means infre- 

 quently, this tusk is found present in the mouth of 



