1 Fers., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 117 
TO TELL THE AGE OF A HORSE. 
Tire age of a horse is to be accurately determined only by an examination of 
the teeth. The incisors (that is the cutters, fore teeth which cut) furnish 
the chief indications. There are six in the upper and six in the lower jaw. 
The back and hook teeth should also be observed to some extent. The hook 
teeth (two in each jaw) are situated over the corner teeth (the two outer 
of the six front teeth in each jaw), beyond the incisors, and having a hooked 
shape. 
When first foaled, the colt has no incisors. Twelve back teeth have in 
most cases forced their points through the gums, but itis not until from two to 
three months afterwards that the four nippers appear ; in six weeks the nippers 
are seen, and in about eight months the four corner teeth. There are now, at 
eight or nine months old, twenty-four teeth, upper and lower, called foal-teeth. 
These are all changed by the fifth or sixth year, and those that follow are 
called horse-teeth. 
The back teeth appear as follow:—The three front double pair are seen 
at birth, and are afterwards changed ; the fourth double pair appear from the 
eighth to the ninth month (these fourth double pairs are the first that remain 
stationary, and they are found in every year-old colt) ; the fifth double pair, or 
fifth four, appear in the second or third year; the sixth usually in the fourth 
or early in the fifth year, These three double pairs of back teeth (last named) 
remain unchanged, as do also the four hook teeth. 
The hook teeth are uncertain as to time of appearance, coming sometimes 
at the end of the third year, sometimes in the fourth, fifth, or even in the sixth 
year. At the age of two and a-half the teeth begin to change, and those which 
then appear are called horse-teeth. 
A full-grown stallion or gelding has forty and a mare thirty-six teeth, the 
male haying four hook teeth, which are lacking in the female. 
At one year old, the edges of all the incisors are partly worn by friction, 
while the corner teeth remain uninjured. 
At two years, the edges of the nippers, and of the middle teeth and their. 
mark, are worn down. 
At two and a-half years, these break through anew as horse-teeth, while the 
foal-teeth appear as a smooth friction surface. : 
At three and a-half years, the middle teeth are just breaking through, the 
outer edges of the nippers are already worn down, and the corner teeth blunted. 
At four and a-half years, the corner teeth and hooks are breaking through, 
the middle teeth are worn only on the outer edge, while the nippers are worn 
down at both edges. 
At five years, both edges of the nippers are worn down, so that the mark 
is almost gone, the corner teeth have come into wear (having attained to same 
height as the others), and the hooks are full grown, but not worn at all. 
At six years, the nippers are worn down even with the middle teeth; the 
middle teeth have still a cavity ; the inner edge of the corner teeth has worn 
down even with the outer one. 
At seven years, the middle teeth of the lower jaw have become even; both 
edges of the corner teeth rub, but they have still a small cavity. 
At eight years, the incisors of the lower jaw have all become equally 
worn; in the corner teeth, a mere trace of the mark is visible ; and the edges of 
the hooks are worn down almost half their height. Wotice always that the 
marks in the wpper teeth are twice as deep as those in the lower ones, and so 
wear twice as long. 
At nine years, the marks of the nippers of the upper jaw have almost 
disappeared ; the middle teeth still show a slight mark; the corner teeth have 
a deeper mark than the middle ones; the inner edge of the teeth is also worn 
down. 7 
At ten years, the mark of the middle teeth of the upper jaw is gone. 
