Straight from the horse’s mouth
July 24, 2011
There is always much confusion when people are trying to work out horses age by their teeth. This is a little rhyme we were taught when we were younger. I’m not sure who originally wrote it and whenever I’ve seen it written it has always had anonymous at the end. Here it is:
THE AGE OF A HORSE
To tell the age of any horse
Inspect the lower jaw of course;
The six front teeth the tale will tell,
And every doubt and fear dispel.
Two middle nippers you behold
Before the colt is two weeks old;
Before eight weeks two more will come
Eight months: the corners cut the gum.
At two the middle “Nippers” drop:
At three the second pair can’t stop;
When four years old the third pair goes,
At five a full new set he shows.
The deep black spots will pass from view
At six years from the middle two;
The second pair at seven years;
At eight the spot each corner clears.
From the middle “Nippers” upper jaw
At nine the black spots will withdraw.
The second pair at ten are bright;
Eleven finds the corners light.
As time goes on the horsemen know
The oval teeth three-sided grow;
Then longer get – project before -
Till twenty, when they know no more.”
Anon.
June HORS-E-NEWS is now here, click link below to view
July 12, 2011
