THE HEAD 7 



on which the tractability of the horse depends is bhmted, or altogether 

 destroyed, in which case the animal is rendered difficult to control. 



The Palate. — The palate consists of a thick membrane of a whitish or 

 pale pink colour, covering the roof of the mouth. The front, and by far the 

 larger portion, is known as the hard palate (fig. 5), in consequence of the 

 dense nature of the tissues composing it. Here it presents a number of 



Fig. 4. — Examination of the Mouth 

 a. Tongue ; h, f roenum ; c e, openings of the salivary ducts ; d, teeth. 



transverse ridges, separated from each other by shallow grooves, and divided 

 along the central line by a longitudinal furrow. The ridges are arched 

 forward, and in the act of feeding assist in keejjing the food in the mouth. 

 Behind and continuous with the hard palate, but beyond the reach of 

 ordinary inspection, is the soft palate. 



That portion of tlie hard j^alate immediately behind the incisor teeth 

 frequent!}' liecomes swollen and painful in young horses especially during 

 the period of the second dentition, when the animal is said to be suflering 

 from "lampas". (See Disea.ses of the Mouth.) 



The Frcenum (fig. 4). — The froenum, or anterior pillar of the tongue, 

 is a loose trians-ular fold of mucous membrane extending from the under 

 surface of the tongue to the lower jaw. It unites the two jjarts, and 



