176 THE GREAT THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS 



than the horse, or can we even imagine one which would be of greater 

 value? What would we do without horses? How could we cultivate 

 our fields, and how carry goods between places which are not connected 

 by a railway? And how, without him, would be performed the many 

 other duties which no animal can so well fulfil? 



It really seems as though nature had seen how useful a servant 

 the horse might be to man, and, therefore, carefully modified his 

 structure in order that he might be of the greatest possible use to us. 

 She has given him both fleetness and strength. She has even formed 

 his very back as though for the purpose of wearing the saddle, and 

 his mouth as though for holding the bit, and has, moreover, gifted 

 him with intelligence which shows him what he is required to do, and 

 enables him to perform his work to the best of his ability. 



It is necessary to understand the way in which the leg of the horse 

 is formed, for that is really the most important part of his frame. 

 Without most carefully formed limbs he could never run with any 

 great speed; no matter how powerful his body might be, his strength 

 would be useless to him unless his legs were so formed as to enable 

 him to use it ; and, even more important still, perhaps, by the structure 

 of his limbs alone can he be saved from the evil effects of the shock 

 which would be caused at every step when he happened to be passing 

 over hard and stony soil. And so, as his legs are very important to 

 him, it is only natural to suppose that we shall find that they are formed 

 in some peculiar manner. 



Now, the hoof of the horse is very dift'erent from the nails of our 

 own hands, though made of the same material. Much larger in size, 

 it actually surrounds and encases the foot with a horny covering, thus 

 protecting it from the many injuries with which it would otherwise 

 meet. A horse, even when he is free and untamed, travels over many 

 different kinds of ground, some of wh'ch are sprinkled with sharp 

 flints, and others with piercing thorns, and, if his feet were not fur- 

 nished with some hard and strong covering, the poor animal would 

 certainly be lamed before very long. 



Many people think that the hoof is only a solid mass of horn ; but, 

 it is not so at all. Besides possessing all the elastic springs, it is so 

 formed that it is equally useful for standing and running alike upon 



