108 JUDGING HORSES 



Disappearance of the Cups. — The cups, which appear on 

 the tables of the teeth, are quite reliable indications of age 

 from the five to the eleven-year stage. At five years the 

 cups in the central pair of incisors of the lower jaw show 

 some wear, but it is not until the animal reaches the six-year 

 stage that they disappear. The canines in males may appear 

 at this age. At seven years of age the intermediate incisors 

 lose almost all trace of their cups through wear, and at eight 

 the corner incisors are worn and free from the cups described 

 at the earlier stage. 



At nine years of age the cups are either worn or disappear 

 from the central pair of incisors in the upper jaw. At ten ■ 

 the cups of the two intermediate incisors have worn until 

 they have disappeared, and at eleven the cups of the corner 

 incisors have disappeared. After a horse passes this stage 

 the age may be determined by the general appearance and 

 condition of the teeth. As the age advances the tables or 

 biting surface of the incisors become more triangular and 

 the teeth spring from the jaw at a greater angle. 



Method of Examination. — The examination of a horse 

 involves two distinct viewpoints, the one from that of the 

 purchaser and the other that of the judge in the show ring. 

 The methods of examination are somewhat different, owing 

 to the two distinct viewpoints from which animals are 

 examined. 



Involving the Purchaser. — The purchaser of a horse is 

 more deeply interested in the peculiar traits or any unsound 

 conditions which may prevail than is the show ring judge 

 who merely passes on the value of ap animal as indicated 

 by a mere external examination. The purchaser should 

 examine the horse in the stall to note how he stands and any 

 other peculiarities which may be present. An examination 

 should be made for cribbing, weaving, or other objectionable 

 stable habits. The horse should then be backed out of the 

 stall, noting closely any peculiarities in the use of the legs, 

 particularly the hindle'gs, or any serious disorders of the 

 nervous system. Spavin may often be first detected by 

 this examination. 



After the horse is taken .out the eyes should be examined 



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