124 



PROCESS OF TEETHING. 



^jre the frcnt or first grinder is changed at the age of two 

 years. 



During the period between the falling out of the central milk 

 nippers, and the coining up of the permanent ones, the colt, 

 having a broken mouth, may find some difficulty in grazing. If 

 he should fall away considerably in condition, he should be fed 

 with mashes and com, or cut feed. 



The next cut (Fig. 19,) will represent a three-year-old mouth. 

 The central teeth are larger than the others, with two grooves 

 in the outer convex surface, and the mark is long, narrow, deep 

 and black.. Not having yet attained their full growth, they are 

 rather lower than the others. The mark in the two next nip- 

 pers is nearly worn out, and it is wearing away in the comer 

 nippers. Is it possible to give this mouth to an early two-years- 

 old ? The ages of all horses used to be reckoned from May, but 

 some are foaled even so early as January, and being actually 

 four months over the two years, if they have been well nursed 

 and fed, and are strong and large, they may, with the inexperi- 

 enced, have an additional year put upon them. The central 

 jij ^g nippers are punched or drawn 



out, and the others appear three 

 or four mouths earlier than they 

 otherwise would. In the natu- 

 ral process, they could only rise 

 by long pressing upon, and caus- 

 ing the absorption of, the first 

 set. But opposition from the 

 first set being removed, it is 

 easy to imagine that their pro- 

 gress will be more rapid. Three 

 or four months will be gained 

 in the appearance of the teeth, 

 and these three or four months 

 may enable the breeder to term 

 Lim a late colt of a preceding year. To him, however, who is 

 accustomed to horses, the general form of the animal — the little 

 development of the fore-hand — ^the continuance of the mark on 

 the next pair of nippers — ^its more evident existence in the cor- 

 ner ones, some enlargement or irregularity about the gums from 

 the violence used in forcing out the teeth — the small growth of 

 the first and fifth grinders and the non-appearance of the sixth 



tliough supposed to have an injurious effect on the eyes, -we have rarely, if 

 ever, found that they produce any injurious effect, either on the eyes or the 

 mouth, and, consequentlj', it is useless to interfere with them. When, how- 

 ever, tie teeth grow irregularly, the permanent ones appearing by the side 

 of the temporary, the latter should be removed. 



