HORSES: THEIR POINTS AND MANAGEMENT 



The Foot.— The outer portion of the foot (or feet) is 

 known as the hoof, which comprises a wall, upper and lower 

 borders, and the quarters, or lateral portions of the wall. 



The " toe " is at the front of the lower border, and the 

 heels are the prominent parts behind. The heels may be 

 " high " oi " low," proportionate length being the most 

 desirable. 



The wall is thickest at the toe, becoming thinner as the 

 heels are approached. The sole bears an elastic prominence 

 ■ — the " frog." This has middle and lateral clefts — the so- 

 called lacunae. 



The frog is exceedingly elastic, and ought always to be 

 well developed, so as to act as to give a good grip to ground. 



Between the frog and the heels, portions of the wall are 

 reflected inw^ards, constituting the " bars." 



Within the hoof there is the pedal bone, and a \'ery small 

 shuttle-shaped bone at the back of the latter. This is the 

 navicular bone (os navicularse). 



The pedal bone is dovetailed to the inner wall of the 

 hoof, through numerous leaf-like projections covering the bone, 

 which fit into corresponding ones on the inner face of the hoof. 

 These are called the scjisitivc and insensitive lamincc, respectively. 



THE HIND LIMBS. 



The only portions of the hind limbs (legs) that it is 

 necessary to refer to are the hip joints, the thighs, the stifles, 

 and the hock joints. 



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