SCIENTIFIC TERMS. 



anatomy. It is intended for the use of all those who 

 possess or who have charge of horses, and therefore 

 will be couched in lan^ua^e which can be understood 

 by all persons of ordinary education. 



Scientific terms, however, cannot be entirely 

 ignored in anatomy any more than in other subjects. 



For example, it would be impossible to give the 

 most superficial idea of the carpenter's art without 

 employing such terms as { mortice,' ; tenon,' ' rabbet- 

 ing,' ' mitre,' and a hundred other technical words. 

 Similarly, nautical terms are quite unintelhgible to 

 an ordinary landsman, and yet it would be impossible 

 to work a ship, or even to sail a five-ton cutter, 

 without knowing the meaning of such expressions as 

 'luff,'' 'jibe,' ' topping lift,' -port,' ; starboard,' 'wear,' 

 'in stays.' &c. 



So, in describing the structure of the horse, many 

 technical words must be employed, but in every case 

 they will be fully explained when first used. 



I will now ask the reader to examine the skeleton 

 in general. All vertebrates are constructed on the 

 same principle ; modified, or ' differentiated' in detail 

 according to the life which the animal is intended 

 to lead. The only essential skeleton of a vertebrate 



