Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-01-29
AGE or 4 HORSE.
Ina Ka1es which, Up 70 Eight Wears. Are
Nearly InEn1Ifhae.


ma Rates wAseh. Up 70 Eieht xsass. A.
Neaxly InEAIlIbae-
Among the many lessons 70 - learned
On the farm. = dial Of judging q ths
age Of horses BY their teeth The value
Of : horse depends largely upon how
much q his active life hiss already been
expended. On an average horses
work IS done BY the time he Is sixteen.
Although he may BE healthy and active
. he approaches that age his value is
gradually decreasing. IS his approach-
ing DAYS are few and full Of stiffness.
1t is important that all men and bows
on farm should know, mot only 6ys
reading the rules, but BY acsual sppli-
catlon. how to tell the age Of horse.
1t is one of the necessary items Of :
farmers education The rules to guide
are pretty reliable, until horse IS eight
years old, after which the indications
are dim, and uncertain Below we give
the most accredited rules, and II would
be well for boys TO cut it out for pres
ervation, or to carry it In the pockets,
and practice with until it il impressed
on the mind
The foal is born with twelve grinders
When four front teeth have made their
appearance, the colt is twelve days old;
and when the next four assert them
selves its age viii be about twenty
eight DAYS. The corner teeth make
their appearance when the foal is eight
months, and these latter attain the
height of the front teeth at the age Of
a year. The two year-old has the
kernel-the dark substance IN the
middle of the tooth's crown-ground
out of all the front teeth In the third
year the middle front teeth are being
shifted; and when three years old those
are substituted by the permanent or
horse teeth. which are larger and more
yellow than their predecessors The
next four teeth are shifted in the fourth
year, and the corner teeth in the fifth.
giving place TO the permanent nipper.
At five years of age q horse has forty
teeth, of which twenty-four are grind
ers far back in the jaw, with which we
have little to do. But, be it remem-
bered, horses invariably have tushes,
which mares very rarely do. Before
the age of six is arrived at, the tnsh is
full grown, and has slight groove on
its internal surface (Which generally
disappears with age, the tsish itself be-
coming more rounded and biunt); and
at six the kernel or mark is worn ont
of the middle front teeth. There win
still be difference of color in the CEN
ter of the TOOTH
The tushes have now attained their
full growth, being nearly or quite an
inch in length; convex without, con-
cave within, tending to . point, and
the extremity somewhat curved, Now.
or perhaps some months before, the
horse may be said to have perfect
mouth.
AT seven years, the msrk. as de
scribed. is very nearly worn out of the
four center nippers, and fast wearing
away in the corner teeth especially
in mares; but the black mark still re-
mains in the center of the tooth. and
is not completely filed up until the ami
NAL is eight years old As he gets on
past seven the bride teeth begin to
wear away
At eight the kernel has entirely dis
appeared from all the lower nippers.
and begins to decrease in the middle
nippers. 1t is now said to be ..past
mark of mouth, =
When more than seven, the know
ing ones are accustomed to go by APP
pearance of the upper fronts, from
which some conclusion may certainly
be drawn as the marks remain In them
long after they have been lost from
the bottom ones. Much reliance can
never be placed on the tushes; for
sometimes they may be found quite
blunt at eight, and as often remain
pointed at eighteen, and sometimes
those in the same mouth will show an
n e