Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08
Two Score and Five Is More Than
Average Span Of Life.
WAYS TO TELL HORSES AGE
Teeth in Early Life, Wrinkles in
Eyes After Nine and Bunches
on Neck in Old Age.

The recent death of the famous trotter,
Jay Eye See, at Racine. Wis. at the
age of thirty-one years, calls attention to
the possible longevity Of the horse and
conditions under which long equine life is
attained.
Horse breeders tell that the natural du-
ration Of the horses life depends largely
on the character Of the work 1t performs
Not only do good men make good
horses" but they also make long-lived
horses
Jay Eye See achieved distinction by re-
ducing the trotting record in the year 1884
to 20. This black gelding was then but
six years old. and remained on the turf
eleven years afterward. spending the last
fourteen years Of his life on the Pleasant
View stock farm near Racine.
Twenty-Five Is Old Age.
If not overridden or otherwise over
worked the horse may easily attain twen-
ty-five wears, which Is considerably be-
yond the average. A few years ago, Eli
Wakelee of Ansonia, Conn.,, had team
of horses which were thirty-four and
thirty-five years of age. and in such ex-
cellent condition that they did consider
able work
Another famous kentucky horse called
Jack A. Owing, the property of Lieut.
Gov Afford died January y. 1908, at the
age Of thirty-six. This is surpassed by
horse owned by Mr.. Hoobler of Steuben-
vile, Ohio, of dark bay color, which at
the age of thirty-seven was kept Tor lam
lily driving.
According to a report last year by S.
Sutherland Stafford. secretary of the
Home of Rest for Horses. near London.
England. the Oldest of seVenty-three IN
mates of the home, was Gamecock, near
ly forty years old. Others ranged from
twenty years upward.
In december, 1896, there was reported
the death of horse belonging to Marion
r. Taylor of Town Point, Md, which had
seen forty-four summers. j. w. Thomas
of Pickens county S. c., owned gray
mule which lived to be forty-three years
This mule was in service during the civil
war and died in 1862
The Oldest Horses.
DR.. Norner-Barensburg of Germany
collected much information on the sub
ject. The oldest animal Of which he
could secure accurate facts was a roam
mare, bred on a government stock farm
in Hungary, that was at least forty-tlve
years old when she died. His account of
this roam mares career has an interest
verging on the pathetic.
equine longevity. AS stated in the
American Encyclopedia, on the au-
thority of Lawrence, "Old Billy"
horse of Manchester, was known to
have lived fifty-nine years and died at
the probable age of Sixty-One. Accord
ing to the same article. Albertus. an
old veterinarian, writes that he knew
soldier serving upon a horse which was
seventy years of age.
Determining the Horses Age.
In the cases cited the ages are sup
posed to be matters of record, though
horsemen assert that in a general way.
and for certain periods in very def
mite way. the horses age may be de-
termined by certain physical sgns-py
the teeth. by the wrinkles about the
eyes, by the punches on its neck, etc.
A horses full complement of teeth is
forty, of which twelve are directly III
'front.' six incisors. 'nippers' or gath
erers in each jaw; four single tusks
tushes or wolf teeth" seldom appear
ing in mares), one on each side in each
law and twenty-four cheek teeth Or
molars, six on each side in each jaw.
The fact that the horse does not get
his full complement of teeth till he Is
eight. and that changes in the teeth
are going on up to that time. and after
ward is of service in determining
horses age When between two and
three years Ola lUc CUT SHcuS HIS loui
middle milk teeth, two above and two
below After three years of age two
more Of these teeth are shed.
He now has eight colts teeth and
eight horses teeth. When four years
old he cuts four new teeth. At five the
horse sheds his remaining colts teeth.
four in number, and his tushes appear.
At six his tushes are up. white. small
and sharp in appearance, while a small
circle Of growing teeth are to be SEEN
no
the horse is aged and his mouth is
said to be full.
There is also a difference in the
grinding surfaces of the mulars. In
the young horse they are rldged and
protuberant; in the old one they are
smooth and worn down in proportion
to- the age, though a skillful jockey
with a file may make a young horse
out of an old one!
Wrinkles After Nine.
A horse that has wrinkles about the
ewes is never less than five years old.
and probably is over eight. Some All
thorities say that after horse is nine
a wrinkle comes on the eyelid, at the
upper corner of the lower lid. and every
wear thereafter he has one well-defined
wrinkle for each year over nine.
TIA horse has three of these wrinkles
he is twelve IL four he is thirteen. and
az on. Add the number of wrinkles 70
nine and you obtain the horses age.
According to experts horse with
punches on his neck is seldom less Than
twenty five years Of age.
The horse reaches a greater age than
any other Of our domestic quadrupeds.
An extreme age for the cat is twenty
three Metchnfkon mentions one which
he had in possession and which died at
that age from cancer of the liver. Dogs
are believed to live longer than cats,
though they seldom exceed eighteen
years Metchnikon mentions one of TWEEN
ty-two, and Sir E. Ray Lancaster cites
the> case of q dog that attained thirty
four years.
or ruminants. sheep do not ordinarily
exceed twelve years. but in rare cases
reach fourteen. Cattle are old at eight
cen, though, according to Brehm, they
may live for twenty-five or thirty years.
Deer and camels are said to be longer
lived than our domestic ruminants, but.
exact data are lacking.
Copyright, 1909. by Hyland c. Kirk)
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