DIVISION III. 



BO>EIS itfUSCLES— LIGAMENTS— DIGESTIVE ORGANS— BLOOD-VESSELS— LYM- 



PHATICS— RESPIRATORY ORGANS— BRAIN AND NERVOUS 



SYSTEMS— THE SKIN— THE AGE— THE FOOT. 



THE BONES OF THE HOESE, OR SKELETON.* 



The skeleton, or bones, of the animal constitutes the frame- 

 work to which the muscles, tendons, and ligaments are at- 

 tached, or fastened, and which supports the animal in his proper 

 form, and furnishes movable joints by which his various move- 

 ments are performed. The number of bones in the horse's 

 skeleton is one hundred and ninety-nine. This does not in- 

 clude the teeth. Some bones, w^hich in the young animal are 

 separate pieces, become solid at maturity, or full growth. 



All bones, in the first j)lace, are only a gristly substance the 

 shape of the future bone, and which is called cartilage. The 

 true bone substance commences to form or be deposited at sev- 

 eral points in the cartilage for each bone, and extends from 

 these points until those for each bone meet, and the bone be- 

 comes solid throughout its whole length or breadth. The car- 

 tilage is a very elastic substance, capable of being bent very 

 much, and if too much weight is thrown on it before the bone 

 is completely formed, its shape may be permanently changed, 

 and the bone become crooked or deformed. From this it will 

 be seen that if the colt is worked hard before the bones are 

 completely hardened, or ossified, as it is termed, sway-back, 



*See illustration on page 171. 



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