The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-01-31
JUDGING HORSES AGE.
Teeth Furnish Fairly Accurate
Indication-YearIy Changes
Which Occur.


the teeth furnish an Indication OF
age which is fairly accurate In es-
| timating the age OF a horse, only
the three pairs of frol, teeth or nip
pers on each jaw are considered
Horses, like human b cings, have two
sets Of teeth; the first set, known as
milk teeth, being replaced by per
manent teeth. New teeth have deep
cups, or indentations, at their Gen.
tiers. AS the teeth wear down these
cups disappear. -
colt does not usually get its
first pair of nippers until it is a few
days old, but has all three pairs by
the time it is 6 to 10 months old
Until a colt is years old, however
it's general appearance is relied upon
largely to indicate it's age. Follow
ing is a description of the yearly
changes which ordinarily occur in
the teeth of horse.
! One Year-The center pair OF
milk incisors, known as the pinch
ers, and the plir next to them,
known as the intermediates, are
we'll through the gums and in con-
tact, but the corner pairs do not yet
meet on a level.
Two Years-The pinchers and the
, intermediates indicate that they are
being crowded by the permanent
teeth, as they are pushed free from
their gums at the base. BY the
time the colt is az years old the
middle pinchers should be through
The permanent teeth are much larg-
err than the temporary ones.
Three Years-The middle pinch
ers are large enough for use. Their
deep cups show plainly. The milk
intermediates are about to be shed.
Four Years-The permanent in
termediates appear at " years and
are ready for use at a. The corner
teeth give evidence that the perma-
/ nent corners are coming. The cups
in the pinchers are about one-third
gone. (The tusks, or canine teeth,
of male colts may appear about this
time.)
Five Years-The temporary cor
, ner teeth are shed at 4 u and the
permanent ones are ready to use.
| The horse now has what is known as
full mouth, all permanent incis-
ors being ready to use. The cups of
the first pair are about two-thirds
gone.
Six Years-The cups in the cen
ter pair have nearly disappeared. In
the second pair they are about two
thirds gone.
Seven Years-The cups from the
second pair are now gone. There is
a notch in the upper corner tooth
where it overlaps the lower one.
Eight Years-The cups having all
worn out of the lower nippers, we
now look at the upper jaw. AL
though cups remain in the center
pair, they are not deep.
Nine Years-The cups in the cen
ter pair of nippers on the upper jaw
have disappeared. They are still
present in the other two pairs, be-
ing fairly deep in the corner ones.
Ten Years-The cups are worn
out of the second pair on the upper
jaw. although they are still present
in the corner pair.
Older Horses-At IL years all of
the cups are usually worn out of the
incisors and 1t becomes necessary to
use some other indication. Estima-
ton of age may now be based upon
the angle at which the teeth meet,
their change in size and shape. AS
the horse gets older. the teeth meet
more and more at an acute angle;
that is, the jaws become more obli-
que. AS the teeth wear down. the
shape Of the worn ends changes
from oval to more nearly round and,