"rising three," or "coming three," or "three next birth-day," are made use of, as well as "three off"--the first phrases indicating that the colt is yet between its second and third year, or will in a month or more be three years old, and the last term meaning that the animal has attained its third year, and has recently entered the fourth year of its existence. The season here materially aids the judgment; for if a blood horse shows a fair three-year old mouth in December, it is unhesitatingly pronounced to be "coming three;" and if it exhibits the same appearance in January the animal is declared to be "three off." The same holds good with the coarser breeds, only, as before stated, the month of April would then be estimated as that of December in the former case, and May would answer to January. "Coming three," however, can, with a little stretching of the term, be applied to any foal; and is commonly used when the colt is strictly but "two off;" for the terms are somewhat loosely used, though in their stringent sense a horse is only rising three, four, or five, after the mouth has began to assume the form which characterizes the respective ages. When the colt is two off, that is two years and three months old, the milk teeth are all retained, and to a casual observer, the mouth would still say "two." A little closer observation will, however, correct the judgment, for looking attentively, perhaps a slight, and only a slight difference in the colour of the central incisors may be remarked. The tinting of the enamel may be a "thought" darker, and yet the contrast so delicate, that the difference can only be seen in a certain light. Then again casting the eye to the gums of the upper central incisors which are first shed, that part of them immediately covering the neck of one of these teeth may show a little redness, and the other exhibit nothing of the kind. The redness indicates that nature is making ready for the appearance of the permanent incisors, and on evidence no heavier than this, the animal is pronounced to be "two off." The redness, it may be said, can be artificially produced--so it may be, but the natural character can hardly be imitated. The colour in the normal mouth is not deep or angry; it is not caused by inflammation, but is only increased vascularity of the part, and it is at first limited to the edge of the gum. The colt shows no symptoms of tenderness in the reddened gum, but stands quite as still, and even more quiet when it is pressed, than when the opposite one is handled. If the part had been tampered with, the animal would probably tell tales when the finger touched it, and the redness would be more intense on the prominent or bulging portion of the gum than where the margin encircles the neck of the tooth; while it is ten to one inflammation had been produced rather than vascularity excited. Little occasion, therefore, is there to fear imposition, and little room for those who would practise it to hope for success.