CHOOSING A HORSE 9 



bone between the foal and the grown horse makes a change from 

 milk to permanent teeth necessary. The permanent replace 

 the temporary teeth at two and one-half or three years of age 

 up to five years. It is seldom that one is called on to esti- 

 mate the age before two and one-half years because the ani- 

 mal has not yet reached the period of usefulness, and even if 

 the age must be estimated, size is considered more than any 

 other factor. 



Three years old. — At about two years and nine months of 

 age the permanent pair of center nippers replaces the temporary 

 ones, and by the time the animal is three years of age they are up 

 and ready for use. They will have deep cups and are much 

 larger than the temporary teeth. If the colt be a male, small 

 tusks will appear at about this time. 



Four years old. — At about three years and nine months, the 

 intermediate pair of permanent nippers appear and is up and 

 ready for use at four years of age. The center pair shows much 

 wear and the cups are about one-third gone. The tusks, if 

 any, have enlarged, but are still sharpen their points and flattish 

 on the inside. 



Five years old. — At about four years and nine months, the 

 permanent corner nippers make their appearance and are up 

 and ready for use at five years of age. At five years of age the 

 horse has a full mouth of permanent teeth ; the center nippers 

 show two years' wear and have changed slightly in shape, having 

 become rounder on the inside, the cups being two-thirds gone ; 

 the intermediate nippers show one year's wear, the cup being one- 

 third gone. Five years is the age preferred on the market, and 

 occasionally horsemen extract the temporary nippers, which 

 hastens the appearance of the permanent teeth. 



Six years old. — The cups in the center pair in the lower jaw 

 have disappeared, or nearly so; they have become much 

 smaller in the intermediates and show one year's wear in the 

 corner nippers. 



