THE AGE OF THE HOUSE. 
311 
What are the irregularities in the vital operations of nature in 
the production of the teeth 1 They are insufficient to betray a careful 
observer as to the animal’s age — setting aside Mr. Goodwin’s case, 
which can scarcely be matched for its novelty. We must bear in 
mind that the owner or trainer of a racing colt, unlike the horse- 
dealer, never wants to make his horse older than he is ; therefore, 
however much older his mouth may be than he is declared by the 
proprietor to be, it is as Nature made him, and she will not lead us 
astray by a whole year, we may rest assured, frequent enough to 
sully or tarnish the reputation of the practitioner who decides the 
absolute age by the mouth. 
In turf matters, the essential care for the veterinary surgeon to 
take is, that the colt he examines is not twelve months older than 
represented, and the mouths to be examined will always be two 
years, three years, or four years ; principally the two latter, if in 
dispute. Just by way of a little illustration, we will say that the 
greatest number of mares drop their foals in February and the be- 
ginning of March, and some few in January. Whichever be the 
month the animal is foaled in, he will have in his mouth, that time 
two years, six sucking or milk incisor teeth in each jaw above and 
below, and ten molars or grinders in each jaw, eight of them milk 
teeth, and four permanent or horse teeth, two of these permanent 
teeth on each side behind the milk teeth ; and this is the precise 
state of the mouth for the next four months, as a general rule. 
Precocious or early mouths may shed the two central nippers and 
the first grinder on each side three months sooner, and a late mouth 
may carry them four months beyond that period : thus giving a 
latitude for irregularity in teething of seven months. 
At the expiration of the third year from the time of foaling, the 
mouth consists of two central permanent or horse incisors, four milk 
incisors, six permanent grinders, and four milk grinders in each 
jaw ; and this is the condition of the mouth for the next four months 
as a general rule. The forward or precocious mouth may shed the 
middle or two next milk incisors to the central ones, and the second 
milk grinder on each side, and the late mouth may retain them 
four months later. 
At the expiration of the fourth year from birth the mouth contains 
only two milk teeth in each jaw, which are the corner nippers. All 
the grinders are permanent teeth. The third or milk grinders have 
been shed and replaced by the temporary, and are grown up nearly 
on a level with the others. About this time the sixth and last per- 
manent grinders are cut, the anterior part of their bodies being 
generally well through the gum. Four months hence these last 
milk teeth, the corner nippers, are shed, and the anterior part of 
the bodies of the sixth and last grinders has gained a level with 
