-93 — 



tent. The point or sharp edges should only be 

 taken off, as a short, blunted canine gives the ap- 

 pearance of older age, and it only leaves an op- 

 portunity for others to criticise. 



The next in order is to examine the jaw 

 teeth. For the purpose of going back into the 

 horse's mouth with your hand without having 

 the animal close its mouth and clinching your 

 fingers, stand on the left side of your horse, take 

 hold of the horse's head or the nasal bone a little 

 above the nostrils with your right hand, pass 

 vour left hand in the mouth between the molars 

 and incisors (this space is called the interdental 

 space) , and as you pass your hand into the mouth 

 have the back part of your hand turned towards 

 the incisors teeth; push the tongue to the right 

 side of the jaws between the upper and lower 

 molars with the back part of your hand. After 

 you have done that, pass your wrist over to the 

 right side of the mouth by pushing the tongue 

 between the upper and lower molars. This is 

 done to compel the horse to keep his mouth open. 

 His instinct teaches him if he closes his mouth he 

 will bite his tongue. Therefore you need not fear 

 that the horse will bite your hand if you keep his 

 tongue between the upper and lower molars. 

 While you have your hand in the animal's mouth, 

 pass your fingers along the left inferior arcade, 

 or the left lower molars, to determine the amount 

 of filing which is to be done on the lower grinders 

 next to the tongue, and also feel for other de- 

 fects. After you have examined the left lower 

 molars, pass your fingers between the upper and 

 lower jaw teeth and examine the upper molars 

 on the outside of the grinders for sharp points, 

 so that you can determine the amount of filing 



