Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-08-13
Telling a Horses age.

Prof. Young, in the Spirit Of the
Times, in giving instructions as TO the
way of telling horses age, says:
Teeth are, as a rule, of an irregular,
cone like shape, the base being toward
the interior of the mouth, the superior
portions being placed exterior TO the
interior, instead Of perpendicular as
they would appear TO the casual Oh
server. The gum is the divi ing line;
that portion Immediately in contact
with the upper portion of the gum,
and Immediately above and below il,
Is called the cerviX, or neck, the faugs
or roots, being imbeded in the avel0na,
or sockets, of the sup riOr and inferior
maxlliarles respectively. The incis-
Ors are situated in the front of the
mouth, aud as they are the ones We
will have most To say about. we will
give a description OF them, and after
wards direct special attention TO the
changes that take place ia them as the
animal advances in age.
Teeth are considered to be active
agents in masticatiou. Their IN de of
development is the same in all our do
INVESTIGATED animals. Those placed to-
getheT in front at the middle of the
melting teeth those situated behind
these 1.-TWO in the superior and two ia
the inferior maxIllIary) are denOmiDa-
ted canine teeth or tushes, those which
occupy the more concealed portions of
the mouth are called mnlars or grind
ers. A horse has 40 teeth, composed
of u incisors, tushes and "a mOlars
the mare has corresponding teeth, ex-
cept tie tushes, which are in the fe-
male almost invariably absent. hence
she has only So. All teeth are COM
posed essentially of enamel, deuLine
and crusto petrose, A curious but re-
markable fact presents itself respect.
ing the growth of horses teeth, which
il not common to other animals.
namely, that the teeth are growing
continually from their development
TO the animals death.
They are forced up from~their sock
cts to supply the material renfNged by
attrition. Tushes never. shed .~Shey
make their appearance between the
animals -four and half and fiftf-year;
hence. if they are just prOtrGding, we
know, without any cohhrmatory evil
dence, the EOrse's age. Either at
birth or from one to four Gays after
ward. the colt has four milk teeth call
ed the centralS.
The lateral teeth appear between
four and six weeks after birth, the
corner teeth about the eighth month.
The centrals, or those which first make
their appearance are shed between
two and a half and three years the
laterals are shed between three and a
half and four years the corner teeth
between four and y half and five -
A bout this time, or little before the
tushes are full grown, the animal is
said. in horseman's phrRseolOgy, to
have !ull mouth.
We come now to the important part
of the sub ect, where an snImDPE age
Is determined by the appearance nf the
black spOts, or, more correctly, the in
fnndibulum. The infundibuium or
black marks are worn cut of the STU
perior or smooth surface OF the lower
Jaw at six years old and thst of the
lateral are commencing to disappear
and is completed at the seventh year q;
thus, at this age we find the wearing
surfaces of both central and lateral in |
feriur teeth begin To disappear. and |
have entirely disappeared WHEN the |
animal becomes eight years old. The |
horse is now considered aged and |
no conscientious veterinary surgeon |
or horseman would positively assert I
the animals age, pproximately.-
Some people aver they can determine
the exact age by signs other than the |
teeth, but such indications are unTs- |
liable.
As the animal advances in age his |
teeth gradually grow long, and appear |
to become more horizontal. The |
mouth which at five years old was |
cup. shaped. now loses this appearance
and becomes elongated The teeth /
which were in the age last mentioned /
nearly perpendicular. are now slant
ing and tbls process appears with |
advancing age. As the horse becomes
old the animal loses its original beau
tifuI whiteness, assumes cloudy or
smoiSy yellow instead. aud becomes
stFsated with brown and black marks, |
aud the tushes iufrequently drop.