28 Veterinary Elements. 



(flexor pedis perforatus) lies just behind the perforans 

 and underneath the skin, and receives a re-inforcing 

 ligament above the knee. This muscle proceeds down 

 the back of the limb and forms a sheath at the fetlock, 

 through which the tendon of the perforans passes and is 

 inserted on the short pastern bone. The suspensory 

 ligament and tico tendons should be hard and well defined 

 in the horse ; to be so, there must not be a great amount 

 of connective tissue, the nervous tone must be good, and 

 there must be no inflammation or its products in the 

 parts. Capt. Hayes, in i ' Points of the Horse, ' ' says the 

 factors in producing strong tissues, such as clean, hard 

 muscles, are Heredity, hard food ( a oats, not corn' 7 }, 

 exercise, a dry, warm climate and Eastern blood. The 

 first three factors are well under the control of every 

 farmer ; knowledge of such factors and their intelligent 

 use render breeding operations more successful and, con- 

 sequently, more satisfactory. Some very large and very 

 powerful muscles (Latissinius dorsi, serratus posticus, 

 longissimus dorsi) extend along the back and loins, they 

 contribute to the breathing movements of the animal 

 and extend the spine; the valuable meat cuts of the back 

 and loins are contributed largely by these muscles; in 

 fact, if an imaginary line be drawn from the shoulder 

 point to the point of the buttock, nearly all of the valu- 

 able cuts will be above that line. 



Four powerful muscles, the pectorals and the serrati, 

 forming the muscles of the armpits, are the means by 

 which the body is slung between the fore legs. The 

 muscles of the hind limbs are of great importance and 

 some of them of immense size ; in the meat type of ani- 



