34 SCIENTIFIC HORSESHOEING. 



Bones Detailed. — Tho various bones entering into the 

 composition of the skeleton of an adult horse are apportioned 

 to the regions of tho trunk and liinl)S, as follows: 



The spine or vertebral column consists of bones more or 

 less regular in their form, divided into five regions. 



The cervical, 7 vertebrre, serving as a base for the neck. — 

 The dorsal, 18 vertebrfe,to w^hich the ribs connect. — The lumbar, 

 6 vertebr<T, supporting the loins. — The sacral, 5 vertebrae, in age 

 fusing into one bone — the sacrum. — The coccygeal, 16 vertebrae^ 

 decreasing in size to form the tail. 



The first cervical is called the atlas, beins: elevated above 

 the others, and supports the head. The second cervical is the 

 axis, being the center upon which the atlas turns. The four- 

 teenth dorsal is the center to which all motions and weierhts 

 are referred. 



The thorax consists of the eighteen ribs on each side, 

 placed against the dorsal vertebrae as mentioned, and resting by 

 their lower ends on the sternum, or breast-bone, 37 bones in all. 



The head is divided into two regions, the cranium and face. 

 It is formed of 28 bones, which are distinct only in young colts, 

 for when matured the majority of these bones are united and 

 can not be separated. 



The shoulder has for its base a single bone on each side — 

 the scapula or collar-bone — making 2 bones for double region. — 

 The arm has also only one bone to each limb^the humerus — or 

 2 for double region. — The forearm has 2 bones — the radius and 

 ulna — i for double region. — The forefoot, from knee down, has 

 16 bones, or 32 for double region — that is, the pisiform, cune- 

 iform, lunar, scaphoid, unciform, magnum, and trapezoid bones 

 form the carpus or knee, and the cannon-bone and two splints 

 form the metacarpus, while the phalangeal or digital region is 

 formed of the two sessamoids, upper and lower pastern-bones, 

 navicular-bone, and coffin- or pedal-bone. 



