THE AGE OF A HORSE

Circa 1900 farm magazine

To tell the age of a horse

Inspect the lower jaw, of course.

The six front teeth  the tale will tell,

And every doubt and fear dispel,

The middle "nippers" you behold

Before the colt is 2 weeks old;

Before 8 weeks two more will come;

Eight months, the "corners" cut the gum.

The outside grooves will disappear

From middle two in just a year;

In 2 years from the second pair;

In 3 the "corners", too, are bare.

At 2, the middle "nippers" drop;

At 3, the second pair can't stop;

When 4 years old, the third pair goes;

At 5, a full new set he shows.

The deep black spots will pass from view

At 6 years from the middle two;

The second pair at 7 years;

At 8, the spot each "corner" clears.

From middle "nippers" upper jaw,

At 9 the black spots will withdraw.

The second pair at 10 are white;

Eleven finds the corners light.

As time goes on the horsemen know

The oval teeth three-sided grow;

They longer get, project before

Till 20, when we know no more!

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