HORSES AND MULES. 293 



in the back, holding the navicular bone (132). Next is the upper 

 pastern bone (29), ujwn which rest>j the shank bone (24), wiih 

 the sessamoid bone (27, 28). The knee joint has seven, some- 

 times eight bones. Back of, and just belo\7 the knee, is a small 

 thin bone, extending down the front shank, nearly its whole 

 length, called the splint bone of the foreleg (25, 26). Above 

 the knee is the main bone of the leg, called the radius or the 

 arm (15), above the arm the elbow (16), and still higher the 

 humerus or shoulder bone (I'i). In the hind leg, the bones are 

 the same until we reach the hock joint, which has six bones. 

 The shank has two splint bones. Above the hock joint is the 

 tibia, the largest oi' all the bones (38). The stifle joint is 

 formed by the tibia, and the femur or thigh bone, which is next 

 above (87). It is covered in front b}^ the knee pan or 2^<^l^'i^ 

 (v). The six bones of the hips complete the bones of the legs. 

 The bones of the head and neck are easily comprehended, by 

 an examination of the skeleton. The bones of the skull, are 

 thin plates locked or dovetailed together, to prevent displace- 

 ment. The head and neck are joined at (e), by the ligament, 

 known as whit-leather, and it is here, that Poll Evil and Fistula 

 have their origin. The bones of the spine are linked together 

 by lock-joints. The scapula or shoulder blade unites the fore- 

 leg to the frame (13). Some of the above bones are solid, 

 others hollow, while the ends or heads of all the bones that 

 form the joints, and all the small bones of which the joints arc 

 composed, are spongy, as are also the ribs, shoulder blades, and 

 back portions of the jaw bones. It is in these spongy bones 

 that diseases make their appearance. 



The movements of all these bones are governed by the mus- 

 cles and tendons, the muscles all ending in tendons, and being 

 joined to the bones by cartilages. The strength of the horse 

 is in the muscles, and they should be full and hard. They are 



