Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-06-03
How to tell a Horses age by his teeth.

| How l0 lell aUIStS dSt Wy HIS ttotil.
The following; article is copied from a
valuable work, completed and lately publish
ed by Mr.. ]. Foster, of Winchester, IVA.
under the title of "The Domestic Animals
Friend, or the Complet Virginia and Mary
land Farrier."
A horse that has arrived at an age fit for
service, ought to have forty teeth twenty
four grinders, twelve fore teeth, and four
tusks. Mares however have but thirty six,
except when they happen to have tusks,
which is by no means common.
1t is by the fore teeth and tusks that the
age of horse is to be judged of, and as they
are not generally put to service until they
come three years old (and indeed thisis one
year too soon. we shall commence our de-
scription of the teeth at that age.
At three, therefore, he will have four
horse and eight colt teeth, which are called
pincers, have a deep black hole in the
middle; while those Of the colt are round,
solid and white.
A short time before the horse comes four
years old, he losses. four middle teeth, two
above and two below, which are followed by
four more horse teeth with black holes in the
middle, the same as the pincers.
A few months before he becomes five, he
ksifeds the four corner teeth, two above and
two below, which is his last colts teeth; and
at five they are replaced with horse teeth
hollow as above described, and grooved on
the inside. At this age he also gets four
tusks, the two lower ones generally, three or
four months before the upper.
Some horses, however, never have any
upper tusks, but this is not common. The
appearance of the two lower tusks is the
most certain proof that the horse is coming
five years old; even if some Of his colts
teeth still remain.
When he is nearly six, all his fore teeth
are full grown, pointed, and little concave
on the inside. AT six the grooves on the in
side begin to fill up and soon after disappear;
the black holes in the middle ofthe teeth also
begin to fill up, but are still very apparent.
Atseven, all the fore teeth except the
corner ones are generally filled up smooth
though black spot in the centre may yet
appear. Between seven and eight, the corner
teeth also fill and become smooth after eight
it is difficult, indeed by some held to be i'm
possible, to Judge correctly on the age Of a
horse, all the striking marks of his mouth
having disappeared.
After which period, recourse must be had
to the general aspect Of the mouth. If the
tusks be flat and pointed, and have small
grooves on the inside, which you can readily
feel with your finger, be assured, he is not
old, probably not yet ten; but if you find
only one groove within the tusk, you may
conclude that he is approaching twelve.
After twelve, grooves generally disap.
pear, and tusks become as blunt and as
round within as without The length of
the teeth is by no means certain criterion
to judge of the age, though long teeth pro.
jecting forward, certainly indicates an
advanced age, as the teeth of young horses
are not so long, and generally meet almost
perpendicular.
The lips ofa young horse are very firm
and elastic, while those of an old one are
soft, habby and hanging and the tongue
often so large that the cavity of the mouth
is scarcely capable of containing it.
The holes in the centre of the teeth some
lines continue to an advanced age, but
when the tusks become round and blunt, the
'ore teeth long and projecting forward, the
ongue large and lips flabby, the horse is
most certainly old, say from twelve to
wenty, or upwards, Notwithstanding any
apparent marks to the contrary.
Having noticed all the marks which serve
o instruct us as to the age of a horse, it is
believed that person of the most common
capacity may, by paying attention to the
oregoing directions, ascertain the age of
lorse with considerable degree of certain
y, at least until he is too far advanced to be
'fmuch value"