The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-01-31

HOW 70 1JUpaE THE
AGE OF a MORSE
;eeth Furnish Fairly Accurate In.
d'eat;o"-Yesr'y Change. Which
Ordinarily Occur.

Until q horse is over 10 years OIL
ne teeth furnish an indication O.
.ge which is fairly accurate. In es.
mating the age Of q horse, only tn
.nree pairs Of front teeth or nippelk
IN each jaw are considered. Horses,
like human beings, have two sets o.
teeth; the first set, known as milk
teeth, being replaced by permanent
teeth. New teeth have deep cuts, or
indentations, at their centers. AS
the teeth wear down these cups dis
appear.
A colt does not usually get it's
first pair of nippers until it is few
days old, but has all three pairs by
the time it is 6 to 10 months old,
however, it's general appearance is
relied upon largely to indicates it's
age. Following 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 pinchers, and
the pair next to them, known as the
Intermediates, are we'll through the
gums and in contact, but the corner
pairs do not yet meet on 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 21a years old the middle
pinchers should be through. The
permanent teeth are much larger
than the temporary ones.
Three years.-The middle pinchers
are large enough for use. Their deep
cups show plainly. The milk inter-
mediates. are about to be shed.
Four years.-The permanent inter-
mediates appear at 80 years and are
ready for use at four. 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 corner
teeth are shed at AZ and the perma-
.ent ones are ready to use. TIL,
.lorse has now what is known as a
4ull mouth, all permanent incisors
icing ready to use. The cups of tn.
.rst pair are about two-thirds gone.
Six years-The cups in the centel
pair have nearly disappeared. In the
,econd pair they are about two-thirds
gone.
Seven years.-The cups from the
second pair are now gone. There il
/ 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
low look at the upper jaw. AL
though cups remain in the centel
>air they are not deep.
Nine yesrs.-The cups in the cen.
;er pair of nippers on the upper jaw
ave disappeared. They are still pre-
ent in the other two pairs, being
airly deep in the corner ones.
Ten years.-The cups are worn out
# the second pair on the upper jaw
Though they are still present il
he corner pair.
Older horses.-At IL years all OF
he cups are usually worn out of thu
ncisors and it becomes necessary tc
Use some other indication. Estima-
ton of age may now 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 obi
que. AS the teeth wear down, the
shape of the worn ends changes from
oval to more nearly round and finally,
in an aged horse, to a nearly TRAN
gular form. Sometimes cups are cut
or burned in the teeth of old horses
to make their mouths resemb BILE those
(of younger animals. This practice,
known as "Bishoping'', may be de-
tected if the shape of the tooth and
the absence of the ring of enamel
which surrounds the natural cup are
noted. After horse is twelve years
old it's condition is more important
than it's age in determining values.