THB TBBTH. 259 



Over Nine Years Old. For a couple of years after the true marks 

 have disappeared there will still be found a trace of the enamel in the 

 form of a star. This enamel lined the bottom of the original hollow and 

 underlaid it for some distance. As the teeth wear this star decreases m 

 size. At twelve or thirteen j'ears of age the last traces of the enamel 

 have usually disappeared even from the corner teeth but it may remain 

 some time longer. 



Effect of Different Kinds of Feeding. The time required for 

 the teeth to wear down depends much upon the natural hardness of the 

 teeth and the kind of food on which the horse is fed. Grass-fed horses 

 usually retain the marks a couple of years longer than those fed on hard 

 food. Again in horses where the upper teeth overlap the lower jaw, the 

 marks will remain many 3'ears. 



Horses that bite the manger, wear down their teeth very rapidly, and 

 lose the marks very early. Horses feeding on salt marshes and on grasses 

 which have been washed by the sea lose the mark quickly. 



BisllOp-ing". There is a practice among some dishonest horsemen of 

 trying to imitate the marks bj' the use of caustic or the hot iron. The 

 fraud is easily detected, because, though it is easy to make a black 

 mark in the center of the teeth, yet it is impossible to put in the walls 

 of pearly enamel which surrounds the natural mark. 



Fang-Hole or Secondary Mark. There is a secondary mark 

 which may or may not appear at nine years of age. A slight trace 

 usually appears at that age in the center teeth and of course later in the 

 other teeth. If it shows at all it is a good sign that the horse has 

 reached at least twelve years of age. There is no actual hole because 

 with advancing years the upper part of the original cavity has become 

 filled with a kind of dentine, which is more yellow than the true mater- 

 ial of which the body of the tooth consists. This affords no true index 

 to age and is mentioned to caution the mistaking of this for "the mark." 

 The enamel of the mark it will be remembered is pearly white, while 

 the mark of this secondary fang -hole is brownish yellow. 



Further Changes. At nine it will be seen the "marks" entirely 

 fail as an indication of age and indeed at seven and eight are not always 

 to be depended upon. After this age the best indications of age are 

 given in the gradual alterations in the shape of the teeth from wear "and 

 in closing the mouth. The teeth are broad (extending from corner to 

 corner of the mouth) in the young horse and gradually grow thin toward 

 their necks and fangs. In very old horses there is often a marked space 

 between the teeth. 



