The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-03-16

- xsssh Herrsn.n Ieyr Deus The Ruiss
Whereby Horses Ass May ne Told
By tie Teeth and General Appearance.
No Certainty After Eight Year,
An Irish correspondent Of The Dublin
Farmers Gazette expresses himself as
| follows on How TO tell a horses age"
The foal is born with twelve grinders.
| When four front teeth have made their
appearance, the colt is 10 days old; and
when the next four assert themselves,
| its age will be about % days. The corner
| tneth make their appearance when the
| foal Il 8 months, and these latter attain
| tho height Of the front teeth at the age
Of year. The 2-year-old has the kernel
| (the dark substance in the middle Of the
| to0th's CROWN ground out OF all the
! front teeth. In the third year the mid
die front teeth are being shifted; and
when 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 per-
manent nipper.
| At 8 years Of age horse has forty
teeth, OF which twenty-four are grinders
far back In the jaw, with which we have
little to do. But, be it remembered,
horses invariably have tushes, which
mares very rarely do. Before the age OF
Q is arrived at, the tush is full grown,
and has slight groove on its internal
surface (which generally disappears with
age, the tush itself becoming more
rounded and blunt); and at the kernel
or mark is worn out Of the middle front
teeth. There will still be difference Of
color in the center Of the tooth. The
| tushes have now attained their full
growth, being nearly or quite an inch in
length; convex without, concave within,
tending to a point, and the extremity
somewhat curved. Now, or perhaps
some months before, the horse may be
said to have perfect mouth.
| At Z years, the mark as described 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 remains in the center
Of tho tooth, and is not completely filed
up until the animal is s years old. As
he gets on past the bride teeth begin
to wear away.
At s the kernel has entirely disap-
peared from all the lower nippers, and
begins 10 decrease in the middle nippers.
| It is now said to be "past mark OF
mouth"
When more than 7, the knowing ones
are accustomed to go by appearances OF
| the upper fronts, from which some con-
illusions 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 s, and as often remain
pointed at IS; and sometimes those In the
same mouth will show an apparent diff
ference Of year or more.
There are indications which enable
very shrewd observers to guess at q
horses age after s years even, but none
to enable accurate determination. III
the 9th year the mark has entirely disap-
peared from the upper middle teeth, and
the hook ON the corner only has in
creased in proportion as the bride teeth
lose their points. At 8 the upper sur
faces of the nippers are all oval; and as
the animals get older, they diminish in
width but not in thickness; they become
more rounded, and appear wider apart.
At 10 years of age the crown of all the
lower front teeth has become somewhat
triangular, and the bride teeth much
worn down; but anything further must
be left to experts, and would serve nc
useful purpose to enlarge upon here. We
must not, however, omit to mention the
fact that, as horses advance in age, their
gums shrink away, conveying that long,
narrow appearance of the teeth which
has long formed the subject of proverb.
They likewise lose their upright appear
ance, and appear to lean forward, more
particularly the upper ones, which as
sumo an arched shape.
Beyond the indications Of age afforded
by the teeth are some others, which
very little experience will render ia
miliar. A dark colored horse, as brown
or a bay, will in time turn gray about
the face, name and top of the TAIL The
back becomes hollow, and the pit Oh
cavity about the eyes gets, by degrees
more and more pronounced.