SHKTLAM) J'UXV •IIIGULAND CHIEFTAIN" .MOUNTED IN THE 



GRAZING POSITION 



This skeleton was presented by William (". Whitney in Jnne. I!t(t2. 



This siKTial study shows the ]30sition of the hmbs of a horse in the 

 action of grazing. It wiU be seen that the downward reach of tlie head 

 and the slow, lax step, modify the position of almost every bone in the 

 body. The vertebral column is considerabh' arched in the dorsal 

 region, thus assisting in the downward cur^•e of the neck and at the 

 same time tilting the angle of the j^elvis a few degrees toward the per- 

 pendicular, increasing the length of the hind limbs arid tilting the body 

 toward the head. The head being turned well to the right, there is 

 a very slight curve toward th(- left in the anterior portion of the dorsal 

 vertebrae, and a slight curve to the right in the lumbar vertebrae owing 

 to the backw^ard i)osition of the right hind foot. The weight of the body 

 falls on the right front and the left hind foot, bringing them both very 

 near the median line, and also modifying the i)osition of the scapula 

 and elevating the left side of the pelvis. A little below the knee a very 

 small, hair-like bone may be seen, which represents the shaft of the 



almost extinct fibula. 



[LSJ 



