Telling the age of the Horse.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 April 1913, Page 4

Telling the age of the Horse.

There are four ways of telling the age ol' a horse, according to the American Agriculturist—by hie teeth, by his ribs, by the flesh on his tail, and by the skin on his chcek. In a young horse tho cheek skin is soft and elastic, and flies back quickly when raised; in an old ono it is lifeless, and goes back but slowly. Old horses apparently have a wider and more distinct space between their fibs than young horses, and, with ago the flesh oil the tail shrinks, making the joints more distinct than they are on a young horse. Judging by the teeth is a more accurate method. The coming of the temporary teeth first and then the permanent ones, the development of maturity, the change in shape on account of wear, the coming of tho cups in the teeth, and their wearing away afterwards; and the change in the angle of the meeting of the teeth, from straight together at live years to a sharp angle at twenty—all these arc signs bv which the experienced horseman can read accurately tho ago of a liorse. It must be remembered that the permanent teeth above and below, conic in at the same time, but that the cups above do not wear .nvay until all the cups below are gone. Tt must also be remembered that changes begin at the centre, and continue at the rate of one pair year.