THE SENSORIAL FUNCTION. 69 



/ The inferior maxillary bone, containing the upper incisor teeth. 



B The Seven Cervical Vertebrae, or bones of the neck. 



C The Eighteen Dorsal Vertebrae, or bones of the back. 



D The Six Lumbar Vertebrae, or bones of the loins. 



E The Five Sacral Vertebrae, or bones of the haunch. 



F The Caudal Vertebrae, or bones of the tail, generally about fifteen. 



G The Scapula, or shoulder-blade. * 



H The Sternum, or fore-part of the chest. 



I The Costae or ribs, seven or eight articulating with the sternum, and called the true rt&, 



and ten or eleven united together by cartilage, called the false ribs. 

 J The Humerus, or upper bone of the arm. 

 K The Radius, or upper bone of the arm. 



L The Ulna, or elbow. The point of the efoowis called the Olecranon. 

 M The Carpus, or knee, consisting of sevenbones. 

 N The metacarpal bones. The larger metacarpal or cannon or shank in front, and the 



smaller metacarpal or splint bone behind. 

 g The fore pastern and foot, consisting of the Os Suffraginis, or the upper and larger pastern 



bone, with the sesamoid bones behind, articulating with the cannon and greater 



pastern ; the Os Coronae, or lesser pastern ; the Os Pedis, or coffin bone ; and 



the Os Nariculare, or navicular, or shuttle-bone, not seen, and articulating ?nth 



the smaller pastern and coffin bones. 

 ft The corresponding bones of the hind-feet. 



O The Haunch, consisting of three portions, the Ilium, the Ischium, and the Pubis. 

 P The Femur, or thigh. 

 Q The stifle joint with the Patella. 



R The Tibia, or proper leg bone behind is a small bone called the fibula. 

 S The Tarsus, or hock, composed of six bones. The prominent part is the Os Culm, Of 



point of the hock. 

 T Tb3 Metataisals of the hind leg. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE SENSORIAL FUNCTION. 



BEAUTIFUL as is the horse, and identified so much with our pleasure and our profit, 

 He has been the object of almost universal regard ; and there are few persons who do 

 not pretend to be somewhat competent judges of his form, qualities, and worth. From 

 the nobleman, with his numerous and valuable stud, to the meanest helper in the 

 stable, there is scarcely a man who would not be offended if he were thought alto- 

 gether ignorant of horse-flesh. There is no subject on which he is so positive; there 

 is no subject on which, generally speaking, he is so deficient ; and there are few 

 horses, on some points of which these pretended and self-sufficient judges would not 

 give a totally opposite opinion. 



The truth is, that this supposed knowledge is rarely founded on principle, or the 

 result of the slightest acquaintance with the actual structure of the animal the form 

 and connexion of parts on which strength, or fleetness, or stoutness, must necessarily 

 depend. 



In speaking of the structure of this animal, and the points which guide the opinion 

 of real judges of Mm, we shall, as briefly and as simply as we are able, explain those 

 fundamental principles on which his usefulness and beauty must depend. We require 

 one kind of horse for slow and heavy draught, and another for lighter and quicker 

 work ; one as a pleasant and safe roadster another, with more speed and equal con- 

 tinuance, as a hunter and another still is wanted for the race-course. What is the 

 peculiarity of structure what are the particular points that will fit each for his proper 

 business, and, to a certain degree, unfit him for everything else 1 The farmer will 

 require a horse of all-work, that can carry him to market and take him round his farm 

 on which he can occasionally ride for pleasure, and which he must sometimes 

 degrade to the dung-cart or the harrow. What combination of powers will enable 

 the animal to discharge most of these duties well, and all of them to a certain extent 

 profitably * 



